Apocolocyntosis
by TempestDash
Summary: Sequel to Disappearing Doctor. Team Possible has been broken. Shego is in a coma, and a new, powerful villain is on the rise. Who will fight villainy now? Updated again on 2012!
1. Prologue

This story does not require the reader to be familiar with the events of 'Disappearing Doctor', however it is strongly recommended.

* * *

The slight tremble that worked its way across the floor and up the table legs shook all the plates and glasses laid out for dinner. The porcelain rattled and slowly crept across the surface to rub against the silverware beside it. The glasses, still empty as the meal was still an hour off, slid around the table as if on ice, colliding with serving bowls and each other swiftly. One glass made it way between the plates and silverware and seemed to fling itself off the edge of the table.

Not missing a beat, a tall, thin woman with pale skin stepped quickly to the side and snatched the falling cup from the air, gently setting it back on the table with its brethren. The woman sighed, and ran a hand through her long black hair pulled mostly into a tail behind her. Her hawkish eyes spied the room for anything else threatening to plummet to the floor and costing her unknown counterpart more money. Seeing nothing immediately in danger, she pulled her apron and laid it beside the sink in the kitchen and headed toward the front door.

Through the glass set in the heavy pine door, the woman stared out at the source of the shaking. The neighborhood was empty, as it typically was this time of day, houses lined in two rows against the wide street. The sun was setting, which cast a reddish hue across the entire vista, and stretched a long black shadow from the iron beast that crept its way down the road.

The shaking intensities as the large machine stormed closer. A second, smaller companion could be seen beside the monster, both roaring engines drowning out all sounds and spitting clouds of black diesel smoke into the sky above. They were dull and grey, even against the red sun, and were stamped in paint with the insignia of the Occupation Army.

Tanks. The OA never failed to remind the people they were occupying most of the Walloon region and Leige was no exception. The raven haired woman cursed to herself about how things could have gotten so bad so quickly. The Monarchy had decided, rather than liberate itself from tyranny it would hole itself up in Brussels and just pray the OA left. Fat chance.

Shaking her head, the woman turned and looked up the stairs. "Juny! Dinner in a few minutes! Start cleaning up!" She paused for a response.

"Yah, Mama!" the darling six year old voice of the woman's daughter returned. She smiled self-consciously and brushed out the wrinkles in her long beige dress. Thinking of her daughter made this whole mess with the OA seem miles away and immediately brightened her mood. Ignoring the rumbling entirely, she started striding back towards the kitchen. Tossing her apron over her head again, she returned to cutting up the lettuce for dinner.

When the leafy vegetable was in pieces, Juny came bounding into the kitchen, a rag doll in her hand. Climbing into a chair at the table, she pulled out a large needle and some threat and continued stitching a line that had apparently been started upstairs. The older woman plated the lettuce placed it on the table.

"Not on the table, sweetheart," said the woman.

Juny pulled the sewing onto her lap and nodded. "Sorry, Mama," she said, cheery and continued working. "Where is Carey?"

The woman's expression darkened slightly. "He should be home soon," she replied, looking at the third place setting at the table. "Your brother is always out late."

--

With the sun setting, Carey peeked his head out from the rear door of the butcher's shop in town. He was young, seventeen, with dusty brown hair that fell in front of his green eyes as much as it did behind his head. The band of boys behind him, all between sixteen and nineteen years old, held their breath as he looked left, then right, then nodded.

"No OA," he said in whisper. "Let's go before they enact curfew."

The rebellious bunch nodded in unison and quickly filed out of the back of the store and vanished out into the only slightly populated streets. Carey hesitated for a moment, then looked back, catching the eye of the owner of the butchery. He was much older, overweight and balding, but his arms were huge and muscular, built up from a lifetime of at first logging then eventually the army and now butchery. He looked grim, and his eyes pierced Carey's own.

"Get out of here, son," the man said eventually. "The OA patrol comes around ever ten minutes. I don't want to see you caught."

"Thanks, Bart," Carey said. "We'll be back tomorrow."

"I wish you wouldn't," grimaced Bart, shaking his head. "You youngsters shouldn't be getting involved in this."

"Someone has to do something," the boy frowned. "If the King is afraid, then it's up to us."

The old butcher couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't know you were that close in the line of succession," he chuckled. "Son, there are men out there, real men, who are doing what they can, but without the King there is no way this country is going to liberate itself."

"I'm a real man," grumbled Carey, looking away. "We can't wait for someone to rescue us or we'll never be free again."

"Maybe," conceded Bart. "But you dying today won't get us any closer to being free. So get out of here, before it's too late."

Carey hesitated, then nodded, and scampered out the back door, closing it gently behind him. In the alley, the setting sun created deep, ink-like shadows that the boy's dark duster helped hide him in. Creeping up the alley to the street, he flitted between dumpsters, crates and random debris to keep himself even more hidden. Once out by the road, where he would have to dash into the sunlight, he paused, and studied the shadows, looking for any hint of a OA solider.

Minutes passed like years as Carey watched, seeing the outline of a woman with her children or a man on his way back from work. Those shadows didn't interest him, but it did make him feel relieved that there were still people on the street to blend in with.

Peeking slightly around the corner, Carey spotted two OA soldiers talking by a street sign, completely ignoring the people walking past. Breathing deeply, Carey stood slowly and placed his hands in his pockets, trying to look casual. After a count of three, he turned his eyes down and walked casually out of the alley and onto the sidewalk.

Each step seemed like he was walking on ice, trying to keep his calm and just move as naturally as possible.

Step. Step. The click of his heels was loud on the cobblestone and he rattled internally, waiting for the call out from a nearby soldier. Step. Step. Still he walked on, with no apparent commotion behind him. Unwilling to betray any interest, he moved forward, his eyes on the ground before him, his steps smooth but calculated. Step. Step.

After another dozen steps, he sighed, and finally let himself believe he'd escaped. This time, anyway. He glanced briefly over his shoulder, finally picking his eyes up from the sidewalk, and saw the soldiers at the intersection walking off, back onto their patrol routes. No danger at all. Now he just needed to make the rest of the walk back to home.

He looked back ahead, ready to stride forth confidently, and caught the glimpse of the OA Uniform just before walking straight into it. Unable to stop in time, he collided with the soldier and fell back onto his butt. In turn, the soldier staggered back but kept his balance, looking angrily down at the boy who had just broke his pace. There was a second soldier beside the first, who had his one hand on the first soldier's arm to steady him, and his other hand on his rifle.

"Err," Carey started, tried to think but feeling his brain turn to mush. "Sorry!" he called out, after eternity.

"Watch where you're walking, boy!" the first soldier, who was tall and had a bushy moustache, squawked. He had righted himself now and was holding his rifle menacingly. He eyes burned as he stared a hole through Carey's face.

"I'm sorry," repeated Carey. He started to pick himself up.

"Don't you have any respect for your masters," the mustached man scolded. He grabbed his rifle and poked the boy roughly. "A move like that could be mistaken for an attack."

"I-I didn't mean to--" stammered Carey. He brain decided to catch up with him now and started searching for ways to escape. "Please, I'm just trying to get home."

"I don't care where you're going!" yelled the soldier.

"Hey," the second soldier finally spoke up, and was pulling on the arm of the first. The second soldier was also uniformed, and wore a cap that mostly covered his blonde hair. "Doesn't this kid look familiar?"

Carey swallowed and felt his heart lurch. He had to escape.

"Whattya mean?" the first soldier asked, still too angry to think. "Why do I care who he looks like?"

"No," the blonde soldier said. "Look. He's one of those youth rally kids. Remember the barricade attack?"

"What?" said the first soldier, confused. He peered carefully at Carey and squinted his eyes.

Carey stood frozen for several seconds, hoping to simply slip away, until he saw the look of realization in the soldier's eyes. There was no longer any options.

"I think you're--" started the mustached soldier.

"Sorry!" yelled Carey, then kicked the soldier at hard as he could in the shins.

"AUGH!" cried the soldier as he buckled over to clutch his leg. The blonde soldier, much quicker than Carey had hoped, was already moving into a defensive posture, brining up his rifle to hold defensively. Changing his footing in an instant, the boy kicked off and tackled the second soldier, headbutting him in the gut. The two wend down in a heap and Carey tried to ignore the dizziness and scramble to his feet. With luck, the soldier had the wind knocked out of him and Carey would escape.

Planting his foot on the man's shoulder, Carey launched into an all out run. His legs burned as he pushed them harder, but he ignored it to put some distance between him and the soldiers. There would be other OA men ahead though, his mind whirred, he would have to pick a path that would run into as few of them as possible.

Reaching the end of the street, he banked to the left to keep up his speed, but he sound of heavy footfalls behind him neared all the same. He cursed aloud as he tried to run faster. The soldiers were taller than him, with longer stride lengths. His only hope was that they would tired quicker or he could find a path that was too big for them.

As his eyes scanned the street for a possible broken fence or crawlspace, heavy hands gripped his waist and tackled him to the ground. The cobblestone pavement rushed up and smacked him hard in the face, tearing the skin on his cheeks. The dirty stone ground into his flesh as the soldier who had tackled held his weight against him.

Carey tried to look back but could move his head enough to see who tackled him, but he did see the mustached man standing nearby, trying to catch his breath. After a few heaving mouthfuls of air, the soldier scowled and stood just to the boy's right.

"Get away," the soldier ordered, and Carey has a feeling he wasn't talking to him. The weight on his chest suddenly vanished and he started to plant his fingers and feet for another sprint.

The striking pain came too quickly however. The soldier had kicked him with full force in the chest, and felt like being struck by a cannon ball. Carey writhed in pain as he clutched his arms around his body, but the soldier didn't hesitated. The second strike was across his jaw and the force of the impact caused Carey to roll slightly. He saw stars as he opened his eyes, the pain racing through his whole body.

"You little worm," the soldier said, before taking his rifle and swinging it down on his legs. The sharp crack was loud and Carey couldn't be sure though the pain if his legs had broken or were just bruised. His vision blurred and he saw darkness creep around the edges. The blood in his mouth tasted salty and he trembled as the pain started to overload his brain. He was going to die here, he realized, and started to cry just as the soldier wound up to kick his gut again.

Carey tried to tense his muscles for the blow, but could hardly control himself through the sobs. He cried harder as he heard the impact, but, strangely felt nothing. He felt slightly relieved that he could no longer feel the pain and knew, soon, he would feel nothing at all.

The sound of impact came again, and Carey figured it wouldn't take many more before it was over.

"Who the hell are--augh!" the second soldier yelled, before the sound of fists striking flesh was heard. Carey continued to cry but was confused about what was happening. Wasn't he the one being beaten?

More sounds of conflict ensued and the boy was quite certain something was going on. He blinked to try to clear the flowing tears from his eyes, but the best he could do was look up with blurry vision and see some figure, shorter than the soldiers, with short blonde hair, reach out towards him.

"Are you okay, little buddy?" the newcomer said, with a softness in his voice. "They're gone now, everything is all right. Is anything broken?"

Carey tried to answer but could only think about what had just happened to him. He was moments from death. Death at the hands of their worthless oppressors. He almost was gone for good, and would never see his sister or his mother again.

He cried with renewed strength and the stranger simply nodded and picked him up with strong arms.

"Just tell me how to get you home," he said and, between the sobs, Carey did.

The walk was long, and eventually Carey stopped crying, but he said nothing to the strange boy who was holding him. He could now see that the stranger was young as well, probably only a few years older than Carey himself, but dressed very strangely. He was wearing what looked like pajamas with trousers, both of which were exceptionally oversized and messy looking, and strange shoes with no heels and made of some sort of rubber.

Confused, but grateful to be going home, Carey simply remained silent as they walked up to his house, noticing the lights still on inside. Before they even reached the door, it flung open and Carey could see his mother rushing out to him. Feeling the rush of relief again, Carey started tearing and reached out immediately for the embrace of his mother.

As she was holding him, she looked up to the stranger and started to speak. "What happened to him? Who are--"

She paused, mid-sentence, and Carey looked up to see her frozen in shock. The stranger simply smiled at her and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Stoppable?" said the woman.

"Hiya, Shego," the stranger replied.

--

Shego bandaged up Carey, her 'son', and had put him and his sister to bed before coming back down the stairs to deal with the newcomer. She had been explicit with him that they were not to discuss anything until the kids were in bed and he had, respectfully, agreed, much to her surprise. She was a little concerned about the conversation she was about to have confusing her children, but equally concerned that she had really no idea what to say to him. He was an artifact of a life that had long gone by, but one she still yearned to rejoin someday. She just wasn't sure this was that day.

"Ron Stoppable," she said, addressing her guest. "Took your time, didn't you?"

"What?" asked Ron.

"Where's Kimmy?" continued the dark haired woman. "I would have thought she would be the one to find me."

"Oh, well, it's ... um," he stammered. "She's not really capable of finding you. It's pretty complicated. I'm not really sure how it works."

"Then how the hell did you get here?"

The blonde boy sighed. "Sensei calls it _sansaku no kyuumu_. It's a spirit ability he's been training me in. With it, I can leave my body while sleeping and walk between dreams."

"Dreams," repeated Shego, annoyed. "You're trying to tell me this has all been in my head. The last two years was just a terrible dream."

Ron frowned. "No. The way Sensei describes it dreams are like gateways into other worlds, other dimensions where things aren't necessarily the same as they are here." He paused. "There. I mean, where we come from. Anyway, you haven't been dreaming, but in order to find you, I had to go dream _walking_."

"Whatever," Shego shook her head, annoyed. "You still took forever."

"It wasn't easy to find you, you know," Ron replied. "I had to trace you through... like, a dozen dreams before coming here."

"Fifteen," said Shego.

"What?"

"Fifteen different... worlds, I've been to, since putting on that wretched helmet." Shego stared off. "I didn't get it at first, what was going on. People kept calling me different names and acting familiar with me. Then everything would shift and it would be different names and people." She paused. "Well, not entirely different people."

"I noticed," said Ron. "Were you really in a world where Kim was a superhero?"

"Stoppable," Shego raised an eyebrow. "We COME from a world where Kim is a superhero."

"Yes, well, I mean, with super powers and all that."

"Yeah, only for a few weeks though," said Shego. "But that was nothing compared to the world where everyone was the wrong damn gender. If you thought Drakken was whiny as a guy, just imagine him as a prissy woman."

"No, thank you. I've had my fill of experiences being a girl." Ron nodded. "One mind swap and you never really wonder anymore." He was silent for a few moments. "So, did you have any control over where you went?"

"No," Shego said, irritated. "Do you think I'd still be lost out here if I had any control? It would just happen! I'd be in one place one moment, and then suddenly yanked into another world the next. I'm not sure why. It seemed random."

"Okay, okay," Ron held up his hands in defense. "I'm sorry."

"Whatever."

"So are you ready to go back?"

Shego stared as if she never expected to be asked that question. "Back?" she said. "You can take me back to my real body?"

Ron started to nod, then his eyes went wide. "Err, kinda?"

"Kinda?" asked Shego, suspiciously. "What do you mean by 'kinda?'"

"Heh, well, it's kinda complicated--"

"You said that already! Just tell me!"

Ron stood and nervously stared out the darkened windows. "Do you know what happened to your body after you put on the helmet?"

Shego paused, but felt a sinking feeling. "What happened?"

"I haven't seen it myself, I only heard from Wade."

"Seen what?" Shego was standing now too.

"From what he says, they're not sure if it was the Mantle of Tenoch itself or whoever it was that finally got it off of you." Ron sweated slightly, unsure if he was going to be hit or maimed by Shego when he told her.

"WHAT. HAPPENED?" she scowled, her hands arched like claws even though she'd long lost her razor gloves.

Ron swallowed and turned around. "You've... aged... a bit."

"How much is a bit?" Shego's eyes were narrow and almost seemed to be glowing green.

"About fifty years," Ron blurted.

Shego stood in shock. "Fifty... years..."

"That's not, exactly, all."

"What else could there be?!"

Ron withered slightly but continued speaking. "Your brothers came to help at one point and, well, it seems as though whatever it is that makes your energy powers is missing. Your body just isn't creating it anymore."

Shego closed her eyes and breathed slowly. Ron shifted his weight back and forth for several moment before finally speaking again. "It may not be permanent," he started. "If we can get back the Mantle of Tenoch--"

"Mama?" a small voice came from the stairs.

Shego turned immediately and looked up at Juny. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"Are you okay, Mama?" said the girl. "You were yelling."

Shego smiled slightly and shook her head. "I'm fine, Juny, I shouldn't have yelled. Did I wake your brother too?"

"No, he's sleeping."

"That's good. Why don't you head back to bed? I'll be up shortly to make sure everything's okay with you."

Juny nodded and padded away back towards her room. Shego watched her leave then turned her head downwards. "I can't leave them alone."

Ron tried not to appear surprised. "What?" He failed miserably.

"They have no one else to care for them," said Shego. "And Carey is always getting into trouble. They can't go on by themselves. Leaving would be--"

"When you leave," interrupted Ron. "The person you displaced will come back as if she never left. It's like that TV show. The kids will have their real mother there for them."

The dark haired woman shook her head. "I can't let her."

"You don't have a lot of choice," admitted Ron. "You said it yourself, you can't control when you leave. Either you leave now or at some random point later, but either way the person who is supposed to be here is going to come back."

"Then we have to find a way to stop that."

"Shego, you don't even know anything about this woman, she could be--"

"She abuses them."

Ron hesitated. "How do you know?"

Shego looked back up at the empty stairs. "The way they acted." She closed her eyes. "The way they kept their distance at first, the way they flinched when I raised my hands to wave. I've seen it before... I know when a child is afraid of their parent."

Unsteadily, Ron softly said, "Shego, were you...?" but he couldn't finish. Shego shook her head all the same.

"My parents were wretched beings." She opened her eyes to look at Ron. "They never laid a hand on me or my brothers, but that doesn't mean they didn't treat us like dirt." She frowned. "Children are supposed to be loved and protected by their parents. Not hurt or experimented on. It infuriates me every time I see it, and I see it all the time." She hung her head. "Whatever you opinions of me are, I can't let children be hurt."

"I'm sorry," apologized Ron. "I just... I didn't expect--"

"That I cared about anything other than myself?" bristled Shego.

"Well, yeah, honestly." Stoppable shrugged. "Shego, you've shown more heart in the last ten minutes than I've seen as long as I've known you."

"Well you don't very well go around acting emotional around your enemies do you?" She paused. "And it's been a long two years."

"Yeah, that's another thing I need to mention," Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "It hasn't exactly been two years, it's only been six months."

Shego just glared and waited for the explanation.

"Some of the places you went to must have moved slower than our world," continued Ron. "What felt like two years for you, was only six months for me."

The world-traveling thief buried her head in her hands. "Maybe I don't want to go back."

Stoppable frowned and stared at the floor. After a moment, he picked his head up and said softly, "It's where you belong."

"Easy for you to say," sighed Shego. Her shoulders slumped but she lowered her hands from her face. "Carey and Juny. I won't abandon them. What do we do?"

Ron frowned. "I'm not sure there is a whole lot we can do."

"That's not good enough."

"Shego," Ron paced. "I was barely able to get here. Learning how to take you with me took me six weeks of intensive, locked-down training. I have no idea how I'd even approach this."

Shego rose her head. "Lockdown?" She pushed out the wrinkles in her dress. "Wait, I think I have an idea."

--

The small warehouse was dark, lit only by a few lanterns hung randomly across the structure, but what little light was available left no doubt as to what was being stored in the tall building. The silent, cold, metal tanks of the OA sat still in rows around Ron and Shego as they crept quietly across the room.

"This is a crazy idea," whispered Ron as they ducked under a cannon. "And I'm the king of crazy ideas."

"Quit yapping," hissed Shego. "And this is the only way to help Carey and Juny."

"They're going to hate you for this, I hope you realize." Ron watched as Shego leapt deftly onto the top of a tank and started silently running along the barrel towards another parked armor. "For all they know, you just dumped them and went off to commit a heist."

"Actually, I think Carey might like me better after this," mused Shego as she leapt onto the next tank and pulled out the package from her pouch. "He's quite a revolutionary." She dropped the package into the cockpit of the armor and then leapt to the next one.

Ron braced for a second, then leapt up quickly onto the top of a nearby tank. He shook his head in disbelief as he watched Shego drop the final package into the tank hatch. "I hope you're right about this woman, Shego. You're about to commit her to a terrible life. This is not exactly 'justice.'"

Shego bounded over to Stoppable's tank. "Don't start with me," she rose a finger. "I may not be able to burn you to a crisp but I can easily kick your ass." Lowering her finger, Shego stared off at the tanks she'd just tagged. "I'm not wrong, this is what the bitch deserves."

"If you say so," said Ron. "Let's just get it over with."

Shego pulled out a simple pocket watch. "I set them for twelve-thirty, which is in five minutes. Once they blow, we bail, the old bitch returns and takes the blame. Carey and Juny get to be safe with their aunt and uncle while the vile woman spends time in an OA prison. Perfect."

"I still say it's not right," warned Ron.

"Suit yourself." Shego looked at her watch again. "Do you have to do any, like, meditation or something? Because you've only got about three minutes le--"

An explosion suddenly rocked the landscape and both Ron and Shego nearly lost their footing amongst the smoke, debris, and the ear shattering sound that accompanied the blast. Ron shook his head and tried to clear the ring while Shego seemed to just brush it off.

"Three minutes, huh?" asked Ron.

"Eh, give or take," replied Shego with a shrug. "Do your mojo, boy."

Ron grumbled.

-End Prologue-


	2. Episode 1: Eurus' Rain

----------------

**Apocolocyntosis**

By Adam Leigh

Episode 1:

"Eurus's Rain"

----------------

With a gasping breath, the still form lurched once, then heaved and sat quickly upright, hyperventilating. With a hand clutched tightly to his chest, the figure let his mouth hang open letting each cool breath fill his lungs and bring him to life again. He was relieved to still be alive and more than a little annoyed at how close to death he had once again come.

Still, it was only a dream, maybe he couldn't have died there.

As the world slowly came back into focus, Ron Stoppable recognized the familiar surroundings of his room. It was not the poster laden, cluttered and fairly disorganized room he'd spent most of his life in. That had been left behind in Middleton six months ago. His room at the Yamanochi Ninja School in Japan was much smaller, and mostly empty save for a mattress on the floor, a small chest against the window, and a tiny sleeping bag for Rufus, used on those nights that Ron was forced to train alone rather than with his much more highly skilled mole rat.

As his eyes finished focusing, he noticed something else in the room that wasn't normally there. A figure, ever still, dressed in white robes that were pulled tightly against her slim form. Her shoulder-length hair fell forward around her face, but the gentle movement of her upper body and the casual sway of her head led Ron to believe she was either sleeping or so deep into meditation that it was indistinguishable from sleep. Either way, she hadn't noticed Ron's sudden awakening and he reached out to tap her gently on the shoulder.

"Yor--" Ron started, reaching towards his fellow Yamanouchi student. The figure immediately tensed and grabbed Ron's hand, twisting it clockwise and then yanking it towards her. The strength of the pull belied the smaller student's small frame and Ron found himself almost flying up towards her. The robed girl never rose her head but jutted out her shoulder to catch Ron in the chest and flipped him easily over her head. He landed with a hard thump on his back and his feet punched through the paper wall.

Finally, the student raised her head, looking suspiciously groggy, and looked around, blinking. Her eyes focused on Ron and she immediately gasped.

"Stoppable-san!" she said, following the breath. Looking at her own hand in horror, she released Ron's arm and quickly pushed herself back in order to bow. Her head nearly touched the floor as she closed her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Stoppable-san. I momentarily forgot my surroundings. It was a very foolish mistake to make."

Nearby, Ron choked once then finally got air back into his lungs for the second time in the evening. "No, no," he groaned, struggling with each word. "Really, I -- gasp -- shouldn't have... startled... you." He expelled all the air in his lungs and slumped slightly, his feet still sticking through the wall to the vacant room beyond. The rooms to either side of Ron had been cleared out months ago when it was confirmed he was definitely not a morning person and had the tendency to walk through walls when tired. At this particular moment, Ron considered it a very wise idea indeed.

"Oh! Let me help you," she said, suddenly realizing his situation. She moved quickly over to him and effortlessly pulled him from the wall and laid him flat on his futon on the floor again.

Yori patted him down discretely looking for injuries, which just caused Ron to squirm as if being tickled. Finally she relented and simply asked, "Are you hurt, Stoppable-san?"

"Er..." his head hurt like nothing else, but he wasn't entirely certain that was from being thrown through the wall or being nearly blown up by Shego. In a dream. In another world. While she was possessing someone else's body. And raising their children.

It occurred to Ron that his life was much weirder now than it had been around this time last year.

"Just a little sore," he finally finished. "That happens to me all the time, actually." Which is very nearly true, thought Ron.

"Oh," said Yori with a smile and then laughed in her unique staccato laugh. "Stoppable-san, you are joking, right?"

"Yeah. Aheh. A joke." He rubbed the back of his neck, then looked out through the patches in his exterior wall. In the distance the first hints of sun could be seen. "What time is it?"

"Very nearly five am," said Yori. "We are late for morning excercises."

"Right," said Ron, with a sigh. "Why are you here anyway? You shouldn't be late just because I am."

"_Sansaku no kyuumu_ can be dangerous," said Yori. "I wanted to make sure that you were all right. There are tales of dreamwalkers getting trapped in their dreams. I didn't want that to happen to you, Stoppable-san."

"Oh," said Ron. "Then, thanks!" He smiled, then raised an eyebrow. "But... you... fell asleep."

"I was just meditating," nodded Yori, standing. "Come on, Stoppable-san."

"Yeah, yeah," said Ron, picking himself off the floor then digging around in his closet for his gi.

---------( KP )---------

"Stoppable-san!" came the call as soon as he and Yori made it to the practice grounds. Ron sighed and ran up to the instructor, a towering, elder man, covered in scars and a personality that reminded Ron very much of Mr. Barkin.

"Master Yuudai," said Ron as he ran up, bowing severely. "I--"

"Please, Yuudai-sensei," interrupted Yori. "He was practicing techniques taught to him by Master Sensei which ran longer than expected."

Master Yuudai narrowed his eyes but nodded reluctantly. "That explains where he was, where were you?"

"I... uh," Yori looked to the side, then blushed. "I was watching him."

"Uh-huh," said Yuudai, unconvinced. "I want to see you do your complete sansetsukon katas, three times. Solo."

"Sansetsukon?" asked Yori, surprised. The sansetsukon were nunchaku with three segments rather than two. She'd rarely succeeded in their use. "But... I'm a tessenjustu --"

"I'm aware of your specialties," said Yuudai. "I taught them to you, after all."

"I..." started Yori, then nodded, seriously. "Hai." She turned to head towards the weapon rack. Ron watched her go, guiltily.

"Uh, you know, Master Yuudai--"

"As for you, Stoppable-san," continued the sensei. "Your bo skills are still lacking, let me see your first katas, five times."

"Five?" asked Ron, boggling. "That could take--"

"Quite a while," said Yuudai, turning on his foot and walking toward the long rows of students practicing their karate forms. "Remember to start from the beginning if you make a mistake."

Ron hung his head. A moment later a small hand rested on his shoulder.

"Cheer up, Stoppable-san," said Yori. She was holding her sansetsukon and a long bo staff in her other hand. "You're improving quite a bit."

Ron nodded sadly and took the bo Yori offered to him. "Not enough for six months of intense training."

Yori smiled. "Even the strongest seed can only become a great tree over many years," she said. Then moved back to begin her kata. Ron looked at the staff in his hands.

"All right," he said, confidently. "Lets you and I work together for once."

The staff ominously said nothing.

---------( KP )---------

"Wah!"

"Stoppable-san!" hollered Yuudai. "Where the hell are your clothes!"

Ron yelled at his bo. "Come on! Why every time??"

"Oh my," said Yori.

---------( KP )---------

Ron laid on his back on the porch of one of the dojos, sweating profusely and breathing deeply. He'd finally gotten through his katas, but it had taken him several hours. He thought he'd collapse before finishing but somehow he'd found the energy to get through it.

His stomach growled.

"Yo, Stoppable-kun."

Ron turned his head. Hirotaka was walking up, looking fresh and alive, a sharp contrast to Ron defeated state. He was wearing that red coat he picked up in the US a couple years ago and pretty much refuse to take off when not training. Trailing behind him was Hideyoshi, the slightly shorter but athletic man with very short red hair that was a couple years behind Hirotaka and Ron at Yamanouchi. Which meant he was only much better than Ron rather than at a complete different level, like Hirotaka.

"Hey," groaned Ron. "Is it time for afternoon spars already?"

Hirotaka laughed. "No, it's not that late yet."

"That's good," nodded Ron.

"We're going to head down the mountain and grab some lunch," said Hideyoshi. He stuck his hands in his pockets and stood casually. "You up for it?"

"Unng." He thought about the miles long walk from the monastery to the town below and figured he was better of just going hungry.

"Is that a no, Stoppable-kun?" asked Hirotaka. "That is a shame, I heard there is a new restaurant in the village."

"I heard that too," said Hideyoshi. "Some sort of an American franchise, a ... Happy Happy Taco?"

Ron's ears perked up.

"Oh, right!" said Hirotaka, energetically. "But in America it's called something else. Nanto? Nabo?"

"Nacho," said Hideyoshi, thinking for a second. "Bueno Nacho."

Ron leapt to his feet. "Well, I'm ready to go, are you ready to go?" He started heading towards the campus gates. "Come on, those nacos aren't going to eat themselves!"

Hirotaka and Hideyoshi grinned to each other and slapped hands behind Ron's back.

---------( KP )---------

Ron nearly inhaled his first naco, savoring its sweet, sweet release from the frequent, desperate hunger that had plagued him since coming to Yamanouchi. The Lunch Lady was skilled and Ron had yet to reliably get lunch from her even after six months. He took his time on the second he'd ordered, eating it only slightly savagely.

Hirotaka and Hideyoshi were eating some form of broiled fish with salsa and a side of steamed rice that Ron had never seen on the menu at a Bueno Nacho before, but figured it was one of those 'regional' items that had be used to promote it's internationalism.

"This is like heaven," said Ron sighing. "You guys are lifesavers."

"It's the least we can do for the one who got our sacred iris to bloom again," said Hirotaka, sipping his tea.

"Eh?" asked Ron. "Iris? Bloom?"

"You don't know?" asked Hideyoshi. "You haven't heard even after all the time you've been here?"

"What story? What iris?" Ron was confused and comforted himself by taking another bite of his naco. Or more like three.

"Yori," said Hirotaka.

"What about her?" asked Ron.

"She's always been... withdrawn," said Hideyoshi. "Quiet."

"Yori?" asked Ron. Surely they were talking about someone else. That didn't sound at all like the girl who dragged him around the world looking for Master Sensei last year.

"Yes," nodded Hideyoshi. "She was dedicated, regimented, and never made mistakes, but rarely talked unless prompted. She was well known for her great skill and beauty, but stoic demeanor. We called her Yamanouchi's Iris."

"That's silly," said Ron. "I've never seen her acting that way."

"No, you haven't," said Hirotaka.

Ron blinked. "What do you mean?"

Hirotaka and Hideyoshi looked wearily at him. "I feel bad now," said Hideyoshi. "She's just going to be disappointed."

"We should warn her now," agreed Hirotaka. "I wonder if it's too late."

"W-wait," stammered Ron. "You're saying she's acting differently because of me?"

"How do American's say it?" asked Hirotaka. "Duh?"

"That's crazy," said Ron. "I mean... I knew she was kinda into me once, but, that was over a year ago." He looked panicked. "And I'm with Kim now, so surely she's... you know, gotten over it, right?"

"Hmm," mused Hirotaka. "Yes, of course, because it's so obvious you're dating someone now. They way you left her and flew to the other side of the world where you never call or write."

Ron frowned. "I don't remember you using so much sarcasm when I first got here."

"I'm a fast learner," said Hirotaka.

Ron looked away. "It's... complicated."

"Not to Yori, apparently," said Hideyoshi. He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "But, hey, whatever! We all benefit seeing our Iris smiling so often, so if you want to deny it, go ahead."

"She's never said anything!" complained Ron. "How was I supposed to know?"

"I can't believe you're my sempai," said Hideyoshi, rolling his eyes. "Can't you tell when a girl is interested in you?"

"Not... um, reliably," said Ron, embarrassed. "No."

"Well, now you know," said Hirotaka, finishing his meal. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Me?" asked Ron.

"She's made the advancement, it's your turn to answer."

"But... I'm still with Kim," said Ron. "I'm not going to leave her."

"Sempai," said Hideyoshi. "You haven't talked to her in half a year. You think you're with her, but how do you know she's still with you?"

"Kim wouldn't..." Ron hesitated, then stopped entirely.

"Yeah," said Hideyoshi. "Totally not my sempai."

---------( KP )---------

"You took quite a while at lunch, Stoppable-san," said Yuudai looking down a still somewhat tired but infinitely more preoccupied Ron. "I hope you realize that one of the most important aspects of our study here is discipline. Of which you have demonstrated a surprising lack of."

Ron looked sheepishly around at the four rows of six students each waiting for Yuudai-sensei to start his lesson and instead getting to watch him berate his less than stellar student. He shifted his weight uncomfortably. He was used to public humiliation, it as practically his trade, but much of the lunch conversation had bothered him and he couldn't keep himself from thinking about it.

"I hope you're not learning bad habits from him, Hideyoshi-san, Hirotaka-san." Yuudai Sensei looked distainfully between the other two boys then back at Ron. "I've decided to pair you with someone comparable to your skill for today's sparring, Stoppable-san."

"Really?" asked Ron, trying to decide if that was a good or a bad thing.

"Isamu-san," said Yuudai calling out to the rows of students. There was some movement in the back, and Ron tried not to look anxious. He wondered how his skill compared to the rest of the class, although he never really wanted to put it to the test for real. Still, it would be nice to know.

Isamu finally became visible as he stepped out of the line of students. He was dressed as all the rest of the students, but he was shorter. Much shorter than Ron himself and even shorter than Hideyoshi. His face was rounder too, and kind of pale. In fact he looked to be...

"Um, Sensei?" asked Ron. "He's, like, six years old."

"Ten," said Isamu, frowning.

"He's an excellent student," said Yuudai, nodding to Isamu. "And will provide you an adequate challenge."

"Hold on," said Ron. "I've beaten monkey fist! And Fukushima! Are you saying this kid could have done that?"

"Your skill is limited by your weakest ability, Stoppable-san," said Isamu. "Luck can only carry you so far in battle."

"It's not luck," mumbled Ron.

"Want to wager on it?" asked Isamu, with a smirk.

"A wager?" asked Ron.

"I bet you 25,000 yen that you can't beat me," said Isamu with a confident smile.

"Uhh..."

"Roughly $250."

"Oh." Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "I dunno, that seems like a awful lot of money to take from a kid--"

"Only if you win," said Isamu.

Ron looked back at Yuudai sensei, who said nothing.

"I suppose," said Ron.

"Excellent!" Isamu smacked his fist into his palm. Ron just looked around for some sign of support from anyone. The only real sign he received was a nod from Hirotaka, but little else. Ron sighed.

"Everyone else, pair with your sparring partner and get going," said Yuudai finally, dismissing the remainder of the class. Ron stalked off with the rest of the students.

"After this," said Isamu to Yuudai, both of whom lingered for a moment more. "Maybe you can stop treating me like a kid."

Yuudai looked down at the boy. "You _are_ a kid," he said simply. "You shouldn't be so eager to grow up. Stoppable-san has the potential to be a great master of the art, but it has nothing to do with his age."

Isamu snorted. "Yeah, it's because he cheated and got Toshimaru-sama's mystical monkey power. Everyone knows that's why he got into Yamanouchi."

Yuudai looked grim. "That is not the case. You of all people know that Yamanouchi doesn't not recognize only ability and means, but philosophy and temper. Stoppable-san does not fight for himself, rather, he would be eager to run and hide than fight. But his passion is derived from another. He fights to protect the people around him, and it gives him the potential to be great, without the ambition to tempt him to fall."

Isamu looked almost betrayed. "You're just trying to justify keeping Tai Shing Pek Kwar within Yamanouchi. I see how you treat him. Your actions speak louder than words." Isamu stormed off towards the sparring area.

Yuudai frowned, then turned and headed to watch the fights.

---------( KP )---------

Hideyoshi bowed respectfully and watched as his opponent bowed back. They both straightened eventually and then fell into familiar stances, ready to fight.

Hideyoshi grinned. "You're late... again," he said, then made an initial attack which Yori deflected. It was part of his style to use dialogue as a means of distraction during combat. Yori had never been very susceptible to it until Stoppable showed up. Now she was just as vulnerable as the rest, but Hideyoshi had to be careful. After so many years of silence, he was almost too interested in what she had to say and it was starting to distract him.

"I was running an errand for Master Sensei," she said, striking with her left first but getting parried. "I was searching the libraries."

"Ooh, what for?" asked Hideyoshi. He launched a series of punches.

"Some information about the exile of the Shade from Yamanouchi," she said, quietly while defending.

"The Shade? Why now all of a sudden?

Yori shrugged then grabbed Hideyoshi's arm and flung him over her shoulder. Hideyoshi quickly righted himself in mid-air however, and landed on his feet gracefully. "You know how Master Sensei is," explained Yori, saying little else.

"Uh-huh," replied Hideyoshi. He quickly dashed in close to try and catch her with a jab at close range. He had always been more of a brawler than an artist and favored the strength of his punches over technique. It was a hard habit to break.

Yori twisted gracefully and blocked a low jab following it with a sweep kick that flipped Hideyoshi onto his back. He landed hard and after sucking air back into his lungs laughed.

"You always get me with that," said Hideyoshi, shaking his head.

"I'm hoping to break your habit," nodded Yori, then offered him a hand. She pulled him up almost effortlessly and they both stood to bow.

"Ready?" asked Yori, already back in fighting stance. She tended to extend her leg and arm, keeping her center of gravity low. Hideyoshi suddenly could see where she would hold her fans in her tessenjutsu and recognized the stance from his own training. He replayed her moves in his mind and realized what she was doing.

Hideyoshi moved into a loose stance and held his hands firm, like blades. "Ready," he said.

Yori launched her first attack, a horizontal swipe with her imaginary iron fan. Hideyoshi spun with the strike and countered with a back-handed swiped with his hand.

Just barely moving out of the way, Yori switched stances and prepared another attack. Hideyoshi struggled to remember his tessenjutsu training and form a proper defense. "So, who do you think will win," he asked.

"Win what?" asked Yori. She attacked quickly and caught Hideyoshi's forearm, causing him to abort his own strike and parry to move out of range.

"Sempai against Nakasumi-chan," said Hideyoshi, protecting his injured left arm and changing his attack to use his right.

Yori got clipped in the shoulder by Hideyoshi's high strike, but then rolled along his extended arm to jab him in the gut. "Why is Stoppable-san fighting Isamu-san?"

"Some wager," said Hideyoshi, rubbing his side. This wasn't working very well. Despite recognizing her attacks, Yori was still quicker and faster at changing between tessenjutsu forms. "Nakasumi-chan thinks he's so much better than sempai just because he tries to act like an adult soooooo hard." He rolled his eyes.

"Isamu-san is quite good," said Yori, attacking again. Hideyoshi took a strike to his knee and he fell hard. "As are you, Hideyoshi-san."

Hideyoshi held up his hand in defeat and Yori helped him up again. "Thanks, Yori-sempai," he said. As both Yori and Ron were his elders in the school, they were both his sempai.

"You recognized my attacks," Yori continued. "That is a big improvement for you."

"Well, I've seen you fight tessenjutsu many times," said Hideyoshi. "I just hadn't put it together until now. I doubt I could do it if you changed jutsu."

Yori smiled. "You underestimate yourself." She glanced over to the other fights going on in the sparring grounds. Several fights were in progress but much fewer than she expected. Then she saw the small crowed by the demonstration platform.

Hideyoshi followed her glance. "Worried about sempai?" he asked.

Yori looked back quickly and had the barest hint of a blush. "I am concerned that Isamu-san will take it too far."

Hideyoshi nodded his head. "The kid does have a control problem." He rubbed his knee. "Want to take a look?"

---------( KP )---------

Ron stumbled slightly, avoiding a completely ballistic attack from Isamu and dodging out of the way. He wasn't sure when this fight had turned from a spar into GWA, but the cheering crowd certainly did not make the fight seem any more civilized.

The worst part was that so many more people in the crowd were cheering for Isamu, which was just depressing. Yori, Hirotaka and Hideyoshi were cheering for him, at least, and Yuudai sensei was just looking irritated and not cheering for anyone.

Isamu was like a tiger, Ron decided, borrowing a metaphor from a number of kung fu movies he'd seen. He would stalk around the 'ring' and then suddenly leap at Ron with his fists and legs flying with blurring speed. Ron had taken several hits to the head before learning he was better off just avoiding the attack rather than parrying. Unfortunately this had led to a rather embarrassing game of cat and mouse.

Ron was sure he could win. The little quirt was fast but Ron had size and power on his side. He just needed to land a hit.

"Going to run all day?" asked Isamu, after missing shredding Ron into confetti by only inches on his last leap. "I didn't think cowardice was an element of Tai Shing Pek Kwar."

The crowed 'oooh'ed at the insult. Yup, definitely a GWA match.

"Me? Running?" asked Ron, nervously making an attack only to have his hand struck away. "Just... umm... you know, stretching. Need to be in good form when fighting."

"Fight me head on, Stoppable-san," said Isamu. Ron boggled at the Japanese's ability to be respectful even when being insulting. "Show me what a master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar can do."

"A-a master?" baffled Ron. "I'm an amateur at best!"

Isamu leapt again and caught Ron in the shoulder, taking a quick grab and flipping over him to gain momentum for a toss. He flung Ron across the sparring area and nearly into the crowd if Ron hadn't instinctually twisted to change his direction and land on his head inside the ring. His neck hurt incredibly.

"Prove you're worthy to be here!" yelled Isamu, getting in a leaping stance again.

Ron rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up to the feet. He was losing for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that he equated striking a kid to abuse and that was just wrong. He tried to imagine Isamu as his devilish cousin, but even then he found it hard to strike. It was just sparring, Ron knew, but he couldn't help but think that regardless of what this fight was supposed to be, it had turned into something else.

He rubbed his neck again and looked back at Isamu. He couldn't disagree with him. Ron had only gotten to come to Yamanouchi because he'd inherited the mystical monkey power from that idol, and if he couldn't tap into that skill, what purpose did he have here?

"You can do it, Stoppable-san!" said Yori from the crowd. Hirotaka and Hideyoshi cheered on with her, but they were a minority in the cacophony of voices.

"Stoppable-san," called a deeper, elder voice from the crowd and much of the other voices quieted to see what Yuudai-sensei was about to say.

Ron looked up, unsure what to make of his suddenly interruption.

"The age of your opponent is irrelevant," he said. "Fight your best and either win or lose this fight in the next five minutes. I have other lessons to give."

After a moment, the crowd went back to cheering.

Sighing, Ron looked back to Isamu. Yuudai-sensei had read his mind, apparently, but that didn't make it much easier to hit the ten year old. Still, he had instructed him to finish this, so Ron swallowed hard and prepared himself to either fight now, or get beaten.

Isamu didn't hesitate and leapt at him as soon as Ron had gotten into stance. With a duck, Ron rolled under the flying attack and managed to flip back into stance on the opposite side of the ring. He took a defensive stance, and wished he could have his staff. He was at least proficient in the staff, unarmed he was no better than a distraction.

And yet, while that thinking had always been comfortable, it had been what had gotten Kim hurt in the first place. If he had been a better, more confident fighter, she never would have gotten shot, and he wouldn't have had to see her bleed out onto the floor in a dizzying realization of how useless he was.

Useless. That's all he'd ever felt. He was there to be a laugh, and a distraction, but in a fight, there was nothing he could do but hide behind Kim. He had to be better than that, because Kim wasn't invincible, and, as he saw, it could get her hurt.

Yori believed him in, he knew, and even Master Sensei had entrusted him with the task of retrieving the Lotus Blade when Monkey Fist stole it. They weren't dumb people. They saw something in him, something that wasn't useless.

Ron just wished he could see it in himself.

"At least attack me," said Isamu, suddenly. "This is embarrassing for both of us."

"I don't really like hurting people," said Ron, stepping around the ring as Isamu did the same. "Especially kids."

"Then you will never get what you want," said Isamu. "And you'll embarrass the Yamanouchi school and every one of us who struggled to be accepted here."

Ron blinked. He was right, it wasn't fair to the other students. Ron had gotten in on a whim, but his failure to excel shamed the ones who hadn't. If he didn't get better, he would fail not only Kim, but Yori and Master Sensei, who had put so much faith in him. He was better off leaving.

Ron lowered his arms and stood in a relaxed position. "Come on," he said sadly. "Just finish it."

Isamu grinned. "Gladly," he said, and prepared himself to pounce.

Ron closed his eyes and let his mind drift away from the fight. It wandered in that half-dream state that was similar to meditation, but had recently enabled Ron to leave his body to dive into other people's dreams. He didn't wish to do that now, of course, it could be dangerous given what was about to happen, but this zen-like state would protect him from feeling too much pain.

He thought about Kim for a moment, but that was too painful, so he tried to think about something else instead. He remember watching Yori do her katas with her metal fan and lost himself in the graceful moves. Each step and muscle flex was intentional and yet fluid, moving from one position to the next in increasing speed. She was a master, and Ron imagined himself being a master as well, moving along with her motions, mimicking the attacks against imaginary foes. Ron knew it wasn't as simple as mimicry, but it gave his mind something to focus on.

Then, all of a sudden, it clicked in his mind.

Ron opened his eyes again and saw Isamu flying towards him. He twisted his waist and lowered himself by extending his foot forward and his hand held high in a fist. Isamu was flying high now, but not so high he would miss Ron completely. In response, Ron swiftly shifted his weight onto his forward leg so his rear one was extended and swung his hand in a chop as if cutting through the air.

Isamu spun out of control as the strike hit his thigh. He only barely got his legs and hands beneath him to land four-legged. He slid his body beneath himself again and launched immediately into a chest-level kick.

Ron twisted his body, cycling his arms like a windmill, and dodged out of the way, ending up back in position again, with his right hand down and his left behind him and bent up at the elbow.

In the crowd, Hideyoshi and Yori gasped in unison.

Isamu changed stances and slowly stepped closer. Ron kept still until the attack came. It was fast, and low, a series of punches and kicks designed to start low and work up to a temple strike. Ron deflected the first few attacks with his fist then spun around Isamu's outstretched arms to strike him in a side.

Isamu stumbled to his knee and coughed, then rolled away again to but distance between himself and Ron.

"What are you doing?" asked Isamu, suddenly. "Where did you--"

"Isamu-san!" said Yuudai-sensei suddenly. "Fight, do not talk."

Isamu scowled but nodded. "Yes, sensei," he said.

Ron's face was completely calm as he stood, keeping himself ready for attack. When Isamu turned back towards him, however, Ron quickly advanced forward. With each step he swung his leg out and around, keeping his body low to the ground, advancing confidently, but somewhat mechanical. Once within range, Ron attacked four times, changing his stance and direction each time until the last one hit Isamu in the center of the chest, throwing him onto his back.

Isamu coughed again, desperately sucking air back into his lungs. He moaned on the ground once he was breathing normally again, rubbing his chest slowly.

The crowd was nearly silent. Yuudai-sensei stepped through it and moved to pick up Isamu in his arms. "Everyone return to your lessons," he said loudly. Everyone looked shocked but eventually dispersed back to their individual spars or departing for training under a different instructor.

"Stoppable-san," said Yuudai, looking down at Ron.

Ron finally released himself from his stance and stood normally. He looked at Isamu with a frown. "I--I'm sorry," he said.

"You will be practicing with Yori from now on," he said suddenly. "Your use of tessenjustu was flawed."

"Tessenjutsu?" asked Ron, confused.

Yuudai almost smiled. Almost. Then turned and headed towards the living quarters.

Ron looked after him, boggling.

"Stoppable-san!" said Yori as she and Hideyoshi came running up. "You did very well!"

"Ah," Ron blushed and looked away. "It was just the magic."

"No, Stoppable-san," insisted Yori. "You did not use Tai Shing Pek Kwar in that battle."

"I didn't?" asked Ron.

"She's right," said Hideyoshi. "You were using the fan arts, like Yori-sempai."

"I did?" asked Ron, further confused. "But... I don't know how to fight that way."

"How did you decide what to do, then?"

"I just..." Ron looked up. "I just remembered watching Yori do her practice routines and imagined myself making the same motions. I'm not even sure how I did it. I don't think I could again."

"Well, you impressed Yuudai-sensei all the same," said Hideyoshi with a grin. He stuck his hands into his pocket. "I guess I'm going to lose my sparring partner."

"Oh, dude. I'm sorry," said Ron, sincerely.

"It's no problem," Hideyoshi waved him off. "She always beats me anyway. It was starting to get boring."

Ron blinked. Hideyoshi was much better than he was, and if he constantly lost against Yori, that meant Ron had about as much chance as a fly would. He looked over at Yori.

She smiled warmly.

Ron swallowed nervously.

---------( KP )---------

Ron and Yori sat before Master Sensei in the meditation shrine just as the sun was starting to set. The smell of incense tickled Ron's nose and he wished the place wasn't perpetually full of it.

"Tell me, Stoppable-san," started Master Sensei. "What was the result of your quest last night?"

"I found Shego," said Ron, shifting slightly back and forth on the tatami mat. His legs kept falling asleep in the kneeling position and he couldn't imagine how Yori managed it. "She was in one of the worlds I visited taking care of two children. I honestly couldn't believe it, she's not exactly what I'd call the 'caring' type."

"We find many ways to deal with our troubles," said Sensei. "Continue."

"She said something about having been out there for two years, but it's only been six months for us. How is that possible?"

"Each world follows different laws," said Sensei. "They do not always equate exactly. As you know, there is no time in the dream, so spending six months or six years can be no more for us than the time it takes for a butterfly to flap its wings."

Ron considered that, and then continued. "I tried to bring her back here, but something -- I'm not sure -- something stopped me."

"Stopped you?" asked Sensei, concerned.

"Yeah, I mean, I had her, and was pulling her back to our world when something just ripped her from my grip and I woke up again." Ron frowned as he thought about it. "I'm sure she's on the path now, I'm just not sure when she'll make it to the end and wake up."

"Hmm," said Sensei, pulling absently on his beard. "This is troublesome, but not entirely unexpected."

"Sensei?" asked Yori. "You knew Stoppable-san would have trouble retrieving Shego-san?"

"My meditations over the last few weeks have been disturbed," said Sensei. "Something is disrupting them, keeping me from finding my equilibrium. I suspected such an action would have repercussions in our dreamworld, but this confirms it."

"Who could be disrupting your meditations?" asked Yori.

Sensei frowned but said nothing.

"I haven't had any trouble until today," offered Ron.

"Yes," said Master Sensei. "You are an amateur in _sansaku no kyuumu_, and only the few of us at this school know that you are being trained in the ability. This may have helped you escaped notice, until now."

"Why now?" asked Ron. "They were watching for Shego?"

"Pulling the consciousness across the dream divide is a great act and very noticeable to anyone attuned to the dream," said Sensei. "Were I not currently being stopped from reaching my meditative peak, I would have known the result of your actions last night as soon as you woke." He looked down. "It is safe to say that whoever is stopping me, has its eye on you now too."

Ron gulped.

"Don't worry," said Master Sensei. "You are not in any danger now, just being watched. It does not seem to have affected your ability to channel."

Yori looked surprised. "Channel?" she asked. "You taught him how to channel the dreamworld?"

Master Sensei smiled. "No, I had not," he said. "It seems you have discovered it on your own, Stoppable-san."

Yori's eyes suddenly lightened and she nodded understandingly. "Ah, your fight with Isamu-san."

"Indeed," nodded Sensei.

"Uh, what?" asked Ron. He was back in the dark again. "What about my fight?"

"You used _sansaku no kyuumu_ to temporarily borrow Yori's ability in tessenjutsu," said Sensei.

"Woah, wait," said Ron. "I never entered that dream-thingy, I just tried to meditate!"

"Channeling is not like dreamwalking, Stoppable-san," said Yori. "You just need to enter a detached state and envision the skill you wish to channel." She blushed. "You must have thought of me when you meditated, and channeled my tessenjutsu."

Ron boggled. "So... I can become as good as anyone I've met just be mediating on them?"

"It's not so simple," said Master Sensei. "There is a limit to how much you can channel, and a duration based on how experienced you are. I have said before you are a natural at the dream, and you have been taught elements of tessenjutsu while here at Yamanouchi, so you did not need to channel much. Were you to pick an unrelated skill, you would not have been so successful."

"Wow," said Ron as he considered the possibilities. Then he blanched. "Oh no! Yuudai-sensei is going to be expecting me to be as good as I was in that fight now!"

Yori laughed.

"Yuudai-dono knows of your abilities, Stoppable-san," said Master Sensei. "He's seen people channel the art before."

"Oh," said Ron, relieved.

"I wish you to practice with Yori-san," started Master Sensei. "While I am gone."

"G-gone?" asked Yori, surprised.

"I must seek out this presence that is hindering my ability to meditate," said Sensei. "I worry that it represents a great and growing danger to Yamanouchi."

"I should accompany you, Master Sensei," said Yori.

Sensei shook his head. "I must do this alone," he said. "And you need to continue to help Stoppable-san learn to develop his ability in _sansaku no kyuumu_."

Yori looked down. "I am not nearly as talented as even Stoppable-san is in _sansaku no kyuumu_. He is a natural, while I only have learned to channel."

"Even so," said Sensei. "He has much to learn from you, and he will enable you to part the veil of dream so that even you shall learn from him."

Yori nodded. "I understand, sensei."

"How long will you be gone?" asked Ron.

"Not long," said Sensei. "But long enough."

Ron raised an eyebrow. That was the same as saying 'I don't know,' but decided not to point it out.

---------( KP )---------

Ron finished his paltry dinner of rice and fish and tried to quell the hunger pains in his stomach by walking around the monastery. It was quite beautiful at night, under the low hanging moon. With their great altitude, the air was a little thin, and very frequently misty or cloudy, but the dim glows of the lamps across the grounds gave it a warm, pleasant feeling.

Ron looked up at the tall walls surrounding the grounds, noting the occasional ninja walking briskly across it between the small guard rooms at the corners. Ron went over by a tall, gnarly tree by the wall and quickly climbed up it, leaping casually from a branch onto the battlement. It was a trick he'd learned early on in his return to Yamanouchi and gave the best view.

Looking out from the wall on a clear night like tonight he could see for almost a hundred miles in any direction not obscured by the mountain itself. In the distance below, Ron saw the cluster of lights that marked the village at the base of the mountain, and the 'public' Yamanouchi High School that served as the cover for the ninja school to request Ron come to Japan two years ago. Further away, lights pocked the landscape in small clusters, growing in frequency until they reached Nagano City.

It was a view quite different than anything in Middletown or elsewhere he'd been to in the United States. There was a strange sense of anachronism here, as if the past and the future touched each other just beyond this mountain, and the carts and bicycles gave way to cars and heavy machinery. Yamanouchi was settled in the past, following the old traditions, but still reluctantly giving way to many conveniences over the ages. Electricity was available in the form of several large batteries that were recharged occasionally. And every morning three students would run down the mountain into the village to pick up food, supplies and the daily papers. But most lighting was provided by candlelight, supplies were often handmade, and scrolls and books written by hand rather than on computer. It seemed so strange to Ron but he had grown used to its eccentrics.

Walking casually along the wall, Ron looked up at the stars and wondered what Kim was doing right now. He had thought about her often, and each time he knew she was probably angry with him. He had left suddenly and had not called or written to her at all. It probably seemed cruel to her, as if he not only left her but hated her, but the real reason was so much complicated.

He was he here for a purpose, to grow his skill and become someone worthy to stand by Kim and help her in her fights rather than hinder. He couldn't leave until he was done or coming here would have been pointless. But he was weak. He knew it to be so even without others to tell him. He couldn't call or write to her because, what would he say? There was too much to tell and if he only said part of it, she wouldn't understand. And if he told her anything at all, he would have to explain everything.

She wouldn't stand for it either, he knew. She would tell him to come back, to come home, and that she didn't care if he was a buffoon. Ron knew she believed that too, and would be happy, but he couldn't. He would always think about that scene, bathed in blood, and her dying before him. Being with her put her in danger, and he wouldn't put her in that situation again.

So, no, he had to keep quiet, and work hard, and go back to her when he wouldn't be a burden. And if she hated him by then... well, he would have to deal with that.

"Stoppable-san?" said a voice before Ron and he looked down quickly noting he was about to step on Yori sitting on the wall.

"Uh...er- Hi," he said, stopping. "What are you doing up here?"

"Looking," she said simply. Her face didn't have the same energy it normally did when Ron saw her, and he thought it was usual. He thought back to what Hirotaka and Hideyoshi said this afternoon and wondered just how much of it was true. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to distract myself from my hunger, honestly," said Ron, smiling awkwardly. He moved to the side slightly then sat down beside her. "It's a beautiful view."

Yori nodded, looking out in the distance. "If the night is clear enough, I can almost see my home."

"Your home?" asked Ron. He looked down the mountain. "You didn't grow up here?" Ron had known that many members of the class he'd been grouped with were children of existing Yamanouchi ninjas, like Hirotaka, who's family he occasionally saw working or teaching on the grounds.

Yori shook her head and pointed to the cluster of lights on the horizon. "No, I was born in Nagano," she said. "My parents were not Yamanouchi ninja."

"Ah," said Ron, nodded. "I shouldn't have assumed. My father's an actuary and my mother ..." Ron hesitated. "Actually, I'm not sure what my mother does."

"Are they nice?" asked Yori.

"Nice?" repeated Ron. "Yeah. Sure they are. I mean, they've always looked out for me, and aside from making me do really boring stuff like clean my room or empty the garage they're pretty ... um... normal."

Yori nodded quietly again.

"How about you?" asked Ron. "What are your parents like?"

With a sigh, Yori began to stand. "It's getting late, Stoppable-san," she said. "You should get to sleep now so that you are not late for morning exercises." Yori bowed and then leapt off the wall onto the school grounds.

Ron frowned. "Strange," he said to himself.

---------( KP )---------

"Here."

Ron stared in surprise at the wad of colorful Japanese currency being offered up to him by the young and short of stature Isamu. It was quite a stack of bills, but Ron couldn't get over the holder.

"Nah," said Ron, gently pushing the hand of cash down. "Don't worry about it. I can't take that much money from a kid."

Isamu bristled at the 'kid' comment but restrained himself. "I have plenty of money, it's not a big deal to me."

"Then save it up," said Ron, smiling warmly. "Use for college someday or to buy a horse or something." People bought horses in Japan, right? He'd noticed them all over the art hanging in the dojo.

"I could buy a ranch, if I wanted," said Isamu, holding the money up again. "This is change to me, so just take it."

Ron was confused, but politely refused again. "We'll just say you owe me one, okay?"

"Dammit, Stoppable-san!" cursed Isamu, surprising Ron. "Do not dishonor me further! We made an agreement, hold to it!"

Blinking, Ron looked surprised at the kid and reluctantly let him put the money in his hand before storming off.

Ron looked afterwards and tried to figure out what just happened before heading off towards the practice grounds for morning exercises.

---------( KP )---------

"Yo, Stoppable-kun."

Ron looked up from where he was organizing the practice weapons rack. He'd knocked it down during morning practice and had been ordered to clean it up prior to lunch. "Hey Hirotaka, Hideyoshi."

"Hey," said Hideyoshi, moving in close. "I saw Isamu heading towards your building this morning looking pissed. Did he pay you off?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah, he didn't seem pleased about it, but wouldn't back down."

"Awesome, lets go back to town and get some fatty tuna," said Hideyoshi, excited.

"I don't think any place in Yamanouchi serves toro sashimi," pointed out Hirotaka.

"Whatever, lets just go."

"Nah, I don't think so," said Ron, looking to the side. "I'm not going to spend it."

"You're not?" said Hideyoshi, astonished. "What're you going to do with it then?"

"Probably just find an opportunity to give it back to him," said Ron, placing a three bladed knife like the top of a trident, a sai, back onto the rack. "He's just a kid, I can't take his money."

"He's got plenty, don't worry about it," said Hideyoshi. "Nakasumi-chan spends yen like it's going out of style."

"Nakasumi?" asked Ron.

"Yeah, he used to have special foods and clothes delivered to the town and then he'd go out and pick them up." Hideyoshi laughed. "One of the night guards caught him and they found out all the stuff he'd been hiding. It was hilarious."

Ron was confused. "Wait, Isamu's last name is Nakasumi?"

"His family name, yes," said Hirotaka. "He's the third nephew of the president of the Nakasumi Corporation."

Ron boggled.

"His parents work in one of the Nakasumi buildings in Kyoto," said Hideyoshi. "That's where I'm from. I ... 'met' him a few times before we both came here."

"You were friends?" asked Ron.

"Er, somewhat?" said Hideyoshi with a grin. "I wouldn't say so to Nakasumi-chan though, he might bite your face off."

"Ugh," said Ron. "Quite an animal he is."

"He is well behaved for a Nakasumi family member," said Hirotaka. "Most of his cousins do not bring honor to the family name. He is easily riled however, which Hideyoshi-kun here has gotten very good at doing."

"It's a gift," smiled Hideyoshi.

"You should go easier on him," chided Hirotaka.

"Feh."

"I guess he wasn't kidding when he said he had a lot of money," said Ron, amazed that he was going head to head against a family member of Nakasumi-san. "Gee, I hope Nakasumi-san doesn't hear that I beat up his nephew."

"Yamanouchi is a secret, remember?" said Hideyoshi. "How would he find out?"

"I suppose," said Ron.

"So, lets go eat," said Hideyoshi.

"I just said--"

"Yeah, yeah, I mean, let's just face the line for lunch," said Hideyoshi, slapping Ron on the back.

---------( KP )---------

Ron fell onto his back for at least the sixth time in the last hour. He turned his head to look up at Yori, who was, as usual, apologetically offering a hand. He took it and got back onto his feet with a sigh.

"It's just not happening again," said Ron.

"I am sure you'll figure it out eventually, Stoppable-san," said Yori, cheerfully. "The ability takes much practice to call upon at will."

"Yeah," Ron rubbed his butt. "In the mean time I'll be spending a lot of time on my back."

"Perhaps you should try for an easier skill," pointed out Yori. "You are already a natural at bojutsu, perhaps if you tried channeling a master you could more easily borrow the knowledge."

Ron frowned. He didn't know any people who used the staff, except for the ninja turtle. And he wasn't real. Ron was pretty sure he couldn't channel a fictional character, even if he had watched the cartoon religiously growing up. Just for kicks, though, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine the green skinned staff wielder, hoping to channel his ability.

He ended up with a deep rooted desire for pizza.

"Ugh," said Ron, opening his eyes again. "That was not what I was trying to do."

"What is wrong?" asked Yori.

"Nothing," said Ron, wearily. He tried to ignore the hunger; he had just eaten lunch, after all. "Why don't we take a break for a few minutes?"

"Okay," nodded Yori, and the two walked over to bench outside the sparring grounds that had been set up with a few wash cloths a bucket of water. Ron briefly wiped his brow with the cool water and sat down, Yori did likewise.

Ron tried desperately to think of anything other than pizza. "So, Yori, do you often get to visit--" he stopped abruptly. He was about to ask about her family again but, remembering how she suddenly got up and left last night when he asked, he refrained. "Er... never mind."

Yori nodded and, thankfully, did not ask further. But then the silence settled.

"Isamu doesn't seem to like me very much," Ron said.

"He is quite confident," said Yori. "His defeat at your hands hurt his pride as well as his body. But he will recover, with time. You taught him more about humility than any of his instructors could."

"Yeah, but if I know anything about humility," said Ron. "You rarely appreciate the person who taught you." He sighed. "There were so many people cheering for him at that fight. Does everyone hate me as much as him?"

Yori opened her mouth then hesitated, and it was the first time Ron had ever seen her speechless. "Your personal strengths have not been advertised as much as your inheritance of the mystical monkey power and the Lotus Blade. I had hoped by welcomingly you openly, the others would temper their opinions." She looked down. "They did not."

"Sorry," said Ron. "I guess I'm not all that likable."

"That's not true," insisted Yori. "You're very likable! The others just do not see yet. But you have quickly befriended Hirotaka-san and Hideyoshi-san, too."

"Yeah," said Ron. "I guess. But I get the feeling Hirotaka and HIdeyoshi aren't all that embraced either."

Yori deflated slightly. "It is true that Hirotaka-san's obsession over America has not improved his appearance. And Hideyoshi-san's history of street fighting is not considered honorable. But it is a start!" She tried to end positively, but Ron realized she had to struggle.

"It's okay," said Ron. "I'm here to learn, not to be liked." Though being liked would be cool too.

Yori put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "That is what will eventually bring everyone around to you," she said. "Your intentions are pure, and that says much about your character. The others will realize that in time."

Ron half smiled. "Thanks," he said. The feeling of hunger had passed and his desire for pizza had returned to normal levels. "Ready to try again?"

Yori nodded. "Yes."

---------( KP )---------

Yuudai-sensei sat cross-legged on the porch of the teacher's house smoking from a long, thin pipe. His dark blue haori hung loosely over his shoulders with the white character for 'mountain' glittering in the candlelight on its front. Beside him was a stack of hand bound books atop which was a platter with a tea kettle and a pair of cups. His eyes were half lidded as he stared out onto the grounds as the moon started to rise and the fireflies played along the stream that ran from the mountains through the monastery.

Yori walked careful up behind the instructor and bowed.

"What is it, Yori-san," said Yuudai-sensei. "Come to plead for leniency for the sake of Stoppable-san?"

Yori blushed furiously. "No, sensei," she said calmly. "I wouldn't presume to instruct you."

"Hah!" laughed Yuudai. "You should be less humble. Stoppable-san learns more from you than from me."

"I-- it is not because I am a better teacher, Sensei," Yori stumbled over her words slightly and prayed for the heat in her cheeks to go away.

"No," said Yuudai, nodding. "Though it is not for your constant fawning, either."

Yori felt her head explode.

"Please, sit down before you overheat," Yuudai-sensei motioned beside him. As Yori slowly moved to sit cross-legged, he poured some tea into the second cup. "Please."

"Thank you," said Yori, taking the cup into her hands. She stared at the slightly swaying liquid, watching the tea leaves slowly drift on the back and forth current.

"What is on your mind?" asked Yuudai-sensei. "As it is apparently not Stoppable-san."

"Master Sensei asked me to do some research on the Shade for him," she said.

Yuudai slowly nodded then frowned. "Ah," he said, as if understanding more than what has been said.

"I do not know why he asked me to," continued Yori. "But I discovered detailed tracking of their activities from the mid 1800s through to the present. It appeared as though you were keeping the logs over the last twenty years."

"I have been," said Yuudai-sensei. He puffed once from his pipe.

"Then, you know the details of the events you write?" asked Yori.

"I do," nodded Yuudai.

Yori looked nervous and sipped her tea a couple times before speaking again. "Then you know what happened on November 22nd, fifteen years ago?"

Yuudai puffed his pipe again then looked slowly over to Yori. "It will bring you no satisfaction to know. Trust me." He turned back to look at the fireflies. "I have experience."

"But--"

"You sympathize with Hideyoshi-san, do you not?" interrupted Yuudai-sensei.

Yori frowned. "Yes."

"He battles with his need for vengeance every day," said Yuudai. "He knows where the yakuza gang who killed his parents are, he's probably strong enough to even beat them. But if he wants to train here, he can never do so."

Yori looked away.

"He acts natural and cheerful with you and Stoppable-san, but the desire to run and kill those who stole his family is constantly playing in his mind." Yuudai sighed. "I would not be surprised if he has memorized a plan accounting for every possible scenario should he find himself in Kyoto again."

"Does that sound appealing to you, Yori-san?" asked Yuudai.

Yori frowned.

"Save yourself the struggle, then, and let your demons be faceless," he said finally. He picked up his cup and looked into it briefly. His expression changed to a thoughtful one. "It's standing on end." He looked again into his cup. A few tea leaves were on the surface and one was floating vertically. "Guess that means good luck for me."

Yori looked thoughtful for several quiet moments, then drank the rest of her tea. "Thank you, sensei," she said with a bow. Then she stood and walked off, leaving Yuudai-sensei alone with the fireflies again.

---------( KP )---------

Ron yawned as he walked groggily from the house his room was in. He did not get as much sleep last night as he had hoped. He kept being dragged out of his sleep into the dream for some reason and was stuck watching somebody's nightmares about tall teenaged girls in strange colorful costumes and short skirts fighting monsters that looked as grotesque as they were strong. Ron hadn't minded the girls, but the 'demons', as the girls called them, were terrifying.

Eventually he found a way of walling himself off from the rest of the dreamscape by building a literal cinderblock wall around him. Things were strange in the dream, and building an actual wall sometimes had metaphoric consequences. At least, in this case it did.

The downside is that he'd already lost several hours of sleep before realizing he could protect himself.

The sun would not be rising for at least an hour now, which was always depressing, but at least it was Sunday, which meant that practices were short, and training only lasted until noon. Ron planned on returning to his room and sleeping until Monday. After this week, he felt he could really use the break.

Unfortunately, the day had other things in mind for him.

"Stoppable-san."

Ron looked up to see Isamu before him again. For someone he'd barely noticed since coming to Yamanouchi, this kid was starting to show up more frequently than a bad penny.

"Hey, Isamu," said Ron, trying to start off pleasant.

"I want a rematch," said Isamu. "Same wager."

"Uh," Ron hesitated. How to end this peacefully? "Why?"

"What do you mean why?" asked Isamu. "To prove I'm better than you."

"Don't you mean 'fight better than you?'"

Isamu stared.

"Uh, right," said Ron, looking away.

"Today at 13:00," said Isamu. Ron mentally translated that to one o'clock.

"Listen, would it help if I just said you were better than me?" asked Ron.

Isamu turned and walked away.

"What about a poster? I can make a really big poster!" Ron sighed. "A flag?"

---------( KP )---------

"Oh, no. He doesn't give up," said Hideyoshi plainly between practice and training. "I'm not sure you realize, but that's one of the reasons he was admitted to Yamanouchi."

"Great," said Ron. He should have expected this coming. "At least I can lose this way and get him to take back his money."

"Stoppable-san, you aren't going to throw the fight are you?" asked Yori, concerned.

"Er... no?" said Ron.

"You've already shown your best, Stoppable-kun," said Hirotaka. "If you don't fight your hardest, everyone will notice."

"Right, I knew that," said Ron, depressed.

"If you want, I can give you some pointers on getting him to lose his cool," said Hideyoshi.

"Uh, I think I've done that well enough on my own, thank you very much," said Ron. "I just don't know which will be worse, losing the fight and having him believe I let him win, or winning the fight and looking forward to having him come back over and over again for rematches."

"See?" said Hirotaka to Yori, rather suddenly.

"This is not the same," said Yori, dismissively. Hirotaka looked surprised in return.

"Have you at least gotten better at your tessenjutsu?" asked Hideyoshi.

"Not really," said Ron. "Actually, I may be worse."

"How did you get... worse?" asked Hideyoshi.

"It's complicated." Ron held his head in his hands. "Ugh, how am I going to get out of this? I don't want to win fights against kids eight years younger than me! There's no way to look good at it. Either I lose and look pathetic for losing to a pre-teen or I win and I look like I'm beating up on child."

"He's hardly defenseless," offered Hideyoshi.

"Go to the battle, Stoppable-san," said Yori. Ron looked up and saw her staring intently at him. "Hirotaka-san and I will take care of the rest."

Hirotaka looked over in surprise. "We will?"

---------( KP )---------

Ron stood in the sparring ring and looked around, confused. He and Isamu were all alone.

"Not quite the turnout this time," Ron said.

Isamu stared back. "It doesn't matter."

"Look," said Ron. "I don't really understand what I did to you that was so awful, but do we really have to fight about it?"

"Yes."

"But, isn't that against what Yamanouchi teaches us?" said Ron. "Shouldn't we be resorting to fighting only when there is no other choice?"

"Why honor anything Yamanouchi teaches us when they admit people like you?" said Isamu.

Ron sighed. "Then there's no point in being here. You have to choose something to believe in, and sometimes it's hard to keep faith but... it's worth it in the end."

Isamu scowled. "You don't deserve to be here if the only thing you've done is touch a two thousand year old idol."

"I agree," said Ron. "I wasn't asked to train here. I wanted to come here on my own accord and I had to prove that I was committed."

"If you're so committed, how can you act like such a child?" asked Isamu, never leaving his fighting stance.

"That's... that's completely different," said Ron. "That's who I am. I don't want to be a different person, I want to be the same person but with the discipline to protect the people I love."

"You like being a buffoon?"

"Well, I'd like it if people stopped calling me that," admitted Ron. "But I don't dislike myself for being clumsy or a little foolish sometimes. It's fun for me, and it's not something I want to change. I don't think I could if I wanted to."

"But... but..." stammered Isamu. "Nobody respects children."

Ron smiled weakly. "Maybe not, but fortunately the only thing you have to do to fix that is wait."

---------( KP )---------

Hirotaka back-flipped to get away from the blades of Yori's fan and flung a pair of shurikens at her to ward her back. Yori produced a second fan and deflected the first of the small blades and dodged the other. With a soft tap Hirotaka landed on the ground and held his _wakizashi_ in his hand defensively.

At the edges of the large dojo in which they were fighting, nearly half the school had gathered and were cheering on either Hirotaka or Yori with great enthusiasm. In the corner, a few of the teachers were observing but most of them seemed disinterested and were talking amongst themselves.

"Why are we fighting again, Yori-san," asked Hirotaka as he made a quick dash forward to strike with his short blade. Yori used her heavy metal fan to deflect the strike and followed up with a backwards kick that Hirotaka only barely parried with his sword sheath, or _saya_. "Not that I mind fighting with lethal weapons for little or no reason at all," he added sarcastically.

"We are buying time for Stoppable-san to work out his problems with Isamu-san," said Yori, swinging again with her fan only to have Hirotaka defend with his wakizashi. "A fight between us would draw away the crowd giving them privacy."

"Hmm," thought Hirotaka as he flipped back over Yori's head and swung down with his saya. Yori had her fan up in lightning speed to defend against the blow. "Very clever, Yori-san," he said.

"Our only difficulty is playing a convincing fight long enough to keep the gathered students from departing," said Yori between several strikes.

"Then we'd better get serious," said Hirotaka. He put his wakizashi in its sheath and held it in his right hand with his arm extended. In his left hand he fanned out several shuriken. "I've always wondered who would win in a battle between us."

He dashed forward again to strike with his fist full of shuriken.

---------( KP )---------

Isamu had lowered his hands, leaving his ready position, but he and Ron still kept their distance in the sparring circle.

"Why did you come to Yamanouchi?" asked Ron, carefully.

"My parents are embarrassing," said Isamu coldly. "My father has been a salary man for uncle's company for years without promotion or raise. He does only enough to get by and then comes home to fuss with his collection of cell phone trinkets."

Isamu looked down. "My mother left my father years ago and when I go to see her she's always too busy with her office lady friends to pay attention to me."

Ron frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry," he said. "So you wanted to get away from them?"

"I wanted to show them what a waste their lives have been," said Isamu. "They never strove to better our family or to make something of themselves. They were only concerned with themselves. I have to prove that our family is more than just my uncle."

"So you chose martial arts?" asked Ron.

"A master of martial arts is well respected in this country. I wanted to become the best martial artist in Japan and open a dojo proudly showing our name." Isamu looked up. "When Yamanouchi approached me, I knew that I was already on the path to bring honor back to my family."

He focused his eyes intensely on Ron. "But you forced me to question that accomplishment."

Ron couldn't help but feel guilty, but it wouldn't help his situation to say so. "So, the only way you'll feel like you haven't made the wrong choice is to prove that I have the mad skills to belong here?"

Isamu looked at Ron and reluctantly nodded.

"Huh," said Ron. "This certainly went in a direction I hadn't expected." He scratched his chin for a moment. "Well, if that's what it'll take, I shouldn't be fighting _you_, then."

"Huh?"

---------( KP )---------

Hirotaka feinted to the side but Yori didn't fall for it and easily anticipated his next move, slashing him across the ribs with her fan.

"Ah, hey!" yelled Hirotaka as he twisted with the attack to minimize the damage. "Easy!"

Yori looked surprised for a second and then bowed several times. "I'm sorry Hirotaka-san," she said. "I thought you would defend against that attack."

Hirotaka put his hand to his side and felt the faint trickle of blood. "I guess that is why we practice a two person kata before doing it for real." He winced slightly with the pain but eventually it subsided.

"Do you think we've given Stoppable-san enough time?" asked Yori.

"I'm sure whatever he's had to say he's said it," said Hirotaka. He held his hand tight against his wound. "I was certain I was faster than you. I guess not."

"It was a lucky strike," assured Yori. "I shouldn't have been going for direct contact."

"I should have figured out your move before you made contact anyway." Hirotaka shook his head and then looked to the crowd. "Looks like she beat me," he announced.

The crowd cheered, many for conflicting reasons. It didn't matter to Hirotaka anyway.

Yori blushed at the attention she was being fawned, especially references to that nickname she disliked, 'The Iris.' Her blush faded when she noticed a pair of guys pushing their way through the crowd and then onto the dojo's fighting ground.

Hirotaka noticed everyone quieting down and he looked to find the source. Ron and Isamu were walking over towards them.

"Hey," said Hirotaka. "Everything cleared up?"

Ron shook his head. "No, but thanks for doing all this. You should have told me, though, and you definitely should not have gotten hurt."

"It'll heal," said Hirotaka with a weak smile.

"Stoppable-san, why have you both come here?" asked Yori.

"We need to do one more fight," said Ron, sounding serious.

"I had hoped to get rid of your crowd for you," said Yori, disappointed. "You wish to fight in front of these people?"

"Yes," said Ron with a nod. "But I'm not fighting Isamu."

"You're not?" Yori looked puzzled between Ron and Isamu. "Then who?"

---------( KP )---------

Ron stood opposite Yuudai-sensei in the dojo, preparing to fight. If half the school had come to see the Yori/Hirotaka fight, then the entire school had crammed its way along and around the dojo walls for this battle.

Ron idly wondered if he should have prepared a last will and testament as he looked at Yuudai's huge sword. In contrast, the thin staff in his own hands seemed almost laughable. At least Yuudai-sensei's sword was blunt, though Ron didn't doubt for a second it was still lethal.

"I won't try to dissuade you," said Yuudai-sensei, looking down at the decidedly shorter Ron. "But I hope you have fully considered your options before deciding to do this."

"Who, me?" asked Ron, lightly. "I don't think anything through fully. I'm actually hoping not to think about this very hard or I very well may have a heart attack."

Yuudai-sensei looked not amused. He glanced at the crowd and tilted his head slightly to listen to the rabble. "This had best not be a means of impressing the students."

"I don't think getting my butt kicked by you is going to raise anyone's opinion of me," said Ron. He closed his eyes and tried to let his mind drift. He need to think of an expert bojutsu user, someone... anyone he knew that he could channel the ability of to increase his paltry skills.

"Stoppable-san."

Ron reluctantly opened his eyes to look at Yuudai-sensei again. "What?"

"Never fight with the expectation of losing," he said. "Even if the odds are a million to one, if you assume you're going to lose, then even that slight chance is lost."

Ron considered his chances to be zero, but nodded all the same. He supposed as long as he was conscious there was a slightly chance he could turn the tide and win. Stranger things have happened to him. Well, not entirely strang_er_ but somewhat similar. Ron had only considered the odds of surviving the fight, winning was a matter so insurmountably against him that he didn't even give it a thought.

But, thought Ron as he closed his eyes, if he were to compare himself to Yuudai-sensei, they weren't entirely different. They were human, after all, and fighting with weapons. And there were a hundred different qualities that they each possessed both similar and different from each other that hardly mattered at all after they made the first attack. In fact, outside of the realm of fighting, they could stand equal on several things.

Ron reconsidered his assessment. He may not be able to turn the tide in a battle, but, to be fair, until they actually started fighting, they were even. Skill or size or strength were tools that affected your progress in battle, but didn't set you on a higher platform before it. Until that first strike, they were _equal_.

Drifting partially into the dreamscape, Ron could see himself standing in the dojo in front of Yuudai-sensei. They were a highly contrasting pair, but they weren't comparing size or shape. They were competing in skill. All Ron needed to do to stand a chance was find someone -- anyone -- equal in ability to Yuudai-sensei to channel.

But searching was silly. Ron already knew someone equal to Yuudai-sensei.

Ron's consciousness coalesced back in his mind and he changed the position of his feet and body, holding his bo in one hand near to the end. His eyes settled calmly on Yuudai-sensei and he nodded once.

---------( KP )---------

Across the void, a disturbance rippled through the dream. With a shiver, the presence yawned and awoke, as if breathing the air for the first time, inflating to push past the weak barriers that had once contained it. It had long suffered in silence, asleep, trapped within a cage beholden to a master that did not even know it existed. Over the years it had atrophied slightly, and lost hope.

But now it had been freed and it sucked up everything around it to grow strong become what it had always supposed to be.

Elsewhere in the dreamscape, eyes lit up with fire and turned towards the birthing being, their attentions caught and interest piqued.

One of those pairs of eyes blinked.

"Oh my," she said.

---------( KP )---------

Ron breathed hard and struggled to keep focused on his opponent as sweat fell into his eyes and blurred his vision. All of his muscles ached and his joints felt sore but for the life of him he'd never felt so aware. Everything little sound and touch was magnified a hundred times and echoed off of everything else.

Yuudai-sensei was stoic, holding his weapon at the ready. He hadn't even a beat a sweat or taken a misplaced breath. Ron was awed by his ability to process so much information so quickly and not be overwhelmed.

Ron pushed his fatigue down again and launched himself forward, swinging his bo staff like a sword against Yuudai-sensei's own. Their weapons clashed and Ron twisted just enough to avoid getting his wooden weapon cut by Yuudai's steel. Even blunt, the force the teacher put behind each swing was enough to do massive damage and Ron thanked the gods that he'd avoided getting hit by one.

Faster. _Faster_! Ron's mind shouted as he swung the staff around. Each of his attacks was deflected and even as his speed increased still no opening were made in Yuudai-sensei's defenses. Three, six, ten strikes in a row. Then came a counterattack from the teacher which Ron barely parried and felt his wrist strain from the effort.

Reluctantly Ron leapt away again to catch his breath. Each heaving gasp felt like fire in his throat and lungs.

"You're not used to this," said Yuudai-sensei suddenly. "You'll seriously hurt yourself if you keep pushing like that."

"I... can ... handle ..." Ron stopped and leaned heavily on his bo. The energy was draining from his body but he struggled to keep going. His mouth was dry and he yearned for anything to quench his aching thirst.

Yuudai-sensei frowned and lowered his voice to almost a whisper. Somehow Ron could hear it clear as day. "Listen to the others in this room," he softly said. "Let yourself focus on more than just me."

Ron stared intently at the teacher then reluctantly let the words of the gathered crowd reach his ears.

"Can you believe it?!"

"I've never seen anyone move like that before..."

"Who knew Stoppable-san was such a great fighter?"

"Did he just deflect Yuudai-sensei's power strike?"

"I could barely see his attacks they moved so fast..."

Ron blinked but lacked the energy to do much else.

"Do you hear it?" asked Yuudai-sensei.

Ron nodded.

"Yield and we'll call it a stalemate," offered Yuudai-sensei. "You've earned your place here."

Ron forced himself up and looked to the side of the dojo. Isamu stood there, staring, his face strange, conflicted.

"Not yet," breathed Ron as he tightened his grip on the bo again.

"I won't let you hurt yourself," said Yuudai-sensei, as he changed his grip on his sword. "Yield now or I will force you to rest."

Ron grit his teeth against his aching bones. He focused his attentions on Yuudai-sensei again and let the noise of the spectators die away. He had to attack first or Yuudai-sensei would easily out-power and out maneuver him and Isamu wasn't satisfied yet. Ron could see it in his eyes.

Ron moved his hands close together on the bo, still wielding it as a sword, and held them low and to the side, the long shaft crossing his body. Without hesitation he lunged forward again.

Yuudai-sensei simply stepped a half-step back and rose his sword to strike.

Each second in Ron's mind slowed as he approached, he pulled on his overworked muscles to bring the bo around, starting his own strike to match his opponents.

Easily reading Ron's telegraphed moves, Yuudai-sensei changed the direction of his strike slightly and shifted his weight to avoid the strike. He pushed own his own well oiled muscles to cut his sword faster through the air, almost leaving air trails behind. He twisted his wrist slightly to ensure that Ron got hit with the side of his sword rather than the edge which, even dull, could easily shatter bone. The blade neared Ron's shoulder.

In a blur, Ron moved. His body twisted and spun slightly, rolling away from Yuudai's attack, surprising the teacher with his speed and last second feint. Using the momentum from his twist, Ron brought the sword around from behind Yuudai, striking towards his back.

Even faster than Ron moved, however, Yuudai swung his sword back and struck at the approaching bo. The two weapons arced towards each other faster and faster, beyond what Ron would call reason. Then, when it seemed as if they had been flying forever, they struck.

Ron's bo shattered into a million splinters and crumbled to the floor. Ron, absorbing some of the reverberated energy into his arms spun out onto the ground and rolled several times before coming to rest on his side. He laid there, breathing, but otherwise motionless.

"RON!" yelled Yori before anyone else could breathe. She leapt across the dojo in a flash and was beside him, cradling his head tenderly and checking his breathing and pulse. After a moment she picked up his body and dashed off, through the crowd, and out of the dojo.

In the center of the room, Yuudai-sensei looked frozen in shock as the crowed began surging towards him, many cheering his victory. He played the battle in his mind again to be certain and then, after a minute, wordlessly replaced the practice sword and departed the dojo. When he was finally apart from the mass of students, he let himself realize what he'd been thinking.

Right before the end, a single moment before he'd shattered the bo, Stoppable had hit him.

---------( KP )---------

Unconsciousness was not like sleep. Ron had come to know the difference since returning to Yamanouchi and he didn't like the former at all. When he slept, he had control, he could step into the dreamscape and walk the dreams other had or, as he recently learned to do, leave entirely to see other worlds, universes, dimensions. Like the ones he chased Shego through.

But when he was unconscious, when he was forced asleep through fatigue or injury, he did not have control. He simply slept and was vulnerable to anyone or anything within the dreamscape with power. He couldn't control his path through his dreams and couldn't voluntarily step beyond him. Someone else had to grab him and pull him away if he were to leave his own dreams behind.

Which is exactly what someone did.

Ron found himself strapped to a table with large metal manacles that seemed to be part of the platform itself. Darkness surged and ebbed around him, leaving no sign of a room or place he was being held in. Lights fell from distant points in the sky, illuminating the area Ron laid on, but nothing more.

Then the feeling of being alone vanished and he felt like he was on display. A hundred eyes of crimson and green flittered in the darkness. Even though Ron couldn't see them, he could feel them, and he wasn't sure they were all exactly human.

"What is this one?" asked a voice in the darkness. Ron opened his mouth to respond but found he had no voice.

"He is a son of man. Frail, weak, but with potential," said another voice, a deeper one that rumbled in the dark. Ron thought it sounded like a lion if lions could speak.

"We should destroy it," said a quick, sharp voice with anger. "The more humans here, the more danger we are in. The Saxons proved that."

"We should monitor it, it intrigues me," said a deep, but sultry voice. "It may be a useful tool against the Witch."

The voices descended momentarily into chaos at mention of the witch. Their voices overlapped obscuring their words but Ron got the distinct impression that whoever this witch was, she was hated.

"I agree that we should watch it for now," a voice finally rose from the bickering. "It has only just realized its ability, we will have opportunities to intervene again."

"This is a mistake," the angry voice responded. "We will all suffer from this decision."

"Then, to a vote?" asked the sultry voice. "We shall handle this as the humans do."

"Very well," said the lion. "All who favor destroying it say 'aye.'"

Loud voices clambered in response.

"All who favor monitoring it for a while longer say 'nay.'"

Louder voices decried with vigor.

"Very well," said the lion. "We shall do nothing... for now."

"Then he shall be returned," said the sultry voice.

The voices grew unsettled and then, one by one, their presences vanished, leaving only Ron, alone on the table, in the ever expanding darkness.

Then Ron heard strange clicking noises and suddenly, a figure stepped into the pool of light around the table. It was a woman, tall and thin, with very long dark hair and wearing what appeared to be a black evening gown covered in diamonds that formed the constellations in the sky. She extended a long pale arm and touched Ron's cheek softly.

"I'll be anxiously awaiting our next meeting," she said softly and leaned over his body to place her face directly above Ron's own. Ron opened his mouth to speak but still could find no voice.

Then her face began to descend, slowly getting ever closer to his. Her eyes closed gently and her dark lips parted just a bit until...

---------( KP )---------

Ron's eyes opened suddenly and he took a deep breath in. He felt sore all over which probably meant he was back in his body in what he considered to be the 'real' world. The blanket covering him felt like the weight of a mountain and he struggled just to move his head slightly to look around.

It was very dark out and the moon's low position in the sky made it either early evening or past midnight. Only a few candles nearby were lit, illuminating a room that Ron recognized as the infirmary. A curtain hung to one side, giving him a slight bit of privacy from the rest of the room should it be full of patients.

A gentle movement nearby brought Ron's attention to the girl sitting beside the bed he was on. He recognized Yori's dark hair and athletic form, and also noticed she had fallen asleep in the chair, her arms crossed and head hanging down. He breathing sounded regular, but Ron wondered how fitful of a sleep she could be getting while upright in a wooden chair.

Another figure moved in the shadows across the room and Ron noticed a larger man standing and moved closer. The silhouette of the man was broad, covered with layers of clothing that swept behind him as he walked. The candle light eventually reached his face as he approached and Ron recognized the slight scars of Yuudai-sensei.

"Sen... sei," Ron croaked then felt incredibly parched. Yuudai-sensei reached for a glass on the table and offered it to him. The cool water felt like bliss as it flooded his sandy throat.

"Stoppable-san," he said after a moment. "How do you feel?"

"Like I just tried lifting an elephant," Ron said, shaking his head. Just lifting the glass to drink again was hard with his muscles feeling so sore and tight. "I can barely move."

"You channeled abilities beyond your body's limit," said Yuudai-sensei. "If you had continued the fight, you very well may have fractured your own bones and tore your muscles."

"I guess it was a silly idea," said Ron, looking away.

"No," said Yuudai. "It was very clever and bold. As a master of my art, I am well adept at defending myself against those who practice the same form, but most would not have fared so well. I am very impressed."

"It's still cheating," sighed Ron. "I don't know your sword arts, or Yori's fan fighting, I just copy what I've seen."

"It is a start," said Yuudai. "And it shows your potential. Master Sensei charged me with guiding you towards mastery in the arts we teach here and I am convinced now that, given time, you will succeed."

Ron smiled wearily and nodded. "Sorry I can't jump with joy," he said.

"Rest," said Yuudai. "In the morning, you will feel better." He turned back to sit in the corner.

"You're staying?" asked Ron. Yuudai nodded and silently settled himself in the corner.

Ron looked confused then laid back on the bed again and relaxed. As soon as he closed his eyes, he fell asleep.

---------( KP )---------

"Are you sure you're okay, Stoppable-san?" asked Yori as they walked towards the morning practice areas. It was, as usual, just short of four o'clock in the morning and Yori had insisted on being there when he returned to classes. He hadn't realized that her intent would be to dissuade him though.

"I'm fine," said Ron. "I rested all day yesterday like you insisted, I need to move today."

"Perhaps you should not strain yourself so soon, though," suggested Yori.

"All I had was fatigue, I'm fine now, honestly," insisted Ron. Also, he thought, if I have spend another day locked up in a room with no TV, video games, or comic books I'll go crazy.

"Let me know right away if you need anything," said Yori.

"Okay," nodded Ron, glad to finally get her begrudging agreement. They continued the rest of the way mostly in silence until they reached the practice grounds. Yuudai-sensei rose an eyebrow slightly at Ron's arrival but otherwise regarded him as usual.

"Hey Stoppable-san," said one of the male students in the lines. Ron wasn't sure of his name. "Welcome back."

"Uh, thanks!" said Ron, smiling.

"Good morning, Stoppable-san," said a girl near to where Ron stood. Her name was Mayu, and Ron had seen her several times since returning to Yamanouchi but never had a conversation with her. Yori eyed her suspiciously for some reason.

"Good morning," replied Ron, kindly.

Several other students greeted him, much to Ron's confusion, before Yuudai-sensei stepped in. "Since everyone is so perky this morning, lets begin with exercises," said Yuudai-sensei. Several of the students groaned, but they didn't look scornfully in Ron's direction as he expected them to. In fact, some of the girls smiled at him.

Yori looked at him too, but seemed upset.

---------( KP )---------

"It seems you are well, Stoppable-kun," said Hirotaka, coming up to him after morning practice. Hideyoshi was following behind him.

"Hey, Hirotaka," said Ron. "Yeah, I'm okay. How're you doing? I hope you didn't get hurt too badly for my sake."

"I can safely say that my injuries were nothing compared to yours," said Hirotaka. "Also, they were a distinct reminder that I need to focus on my training more. Yori-san's attack was simple and I should not have fallen for it." He looked around briefly. "Speaking of, where is our Iris this morning?"

"She left after practice ended," said Ron. "She seemed angry at something. I'm not quite sure why. I hope it wasn't me."

"Hmm," said Hirotaka, looking thoughtful. "Did anything happen this morning?"

"Nothing major," said Ron. "Well, a bunch of students welcomed me back after resting yesterday. I totally didn't expect that."

"You have gained much ground in the eyes of the students at this school because of your performance in the match with Yuudai-sensei," said Hirotaka. "Many who believed you not to be worthy of Yamanouchi have come to change their mind."

"Hmm," mused Ron. "I still haven't seen Isamu recently, though, he was the only one I was trying to satisfy. Have either of you seen him?"

"Not yesterday," noted Hirotaka. "But I do not typically see him during my training."

"How about you, Hideyoshi?" asked Ron.

"..."

Ron looked back at Hirotaka, confused, then again at Hideyoshi. "Hideyoshi?"

"Hmm?" said Hideyoshi, looking slowly over to Ron. "What?"

"Have you seen Isamu recently?" repeated Ron.

"Aside from two days ago?"

"..." Ron was flabbergasted. "Yes, aside from when you saw him _with me_."

"Oh," said Hideyoshi. "Yeah, I saw him around lunch yesterday. He missed many of his attempts at grabbing sushi, then left early." He looked hesitant for a second. "I think," he then added.

"Are you alright?" asked Ron. "You seem kind of spacey."

"Oh, I'm fine," said Hideyoshi nodding randomly.

Ron looked to Hirotaka.

"He's awestruck," said Hirotaka. "With Keiko Ichinara."

"Who?" asked Ron.

"Another student at his level," Hirotaka explained. "She was at the fights yesterday. She is also from Kyoto."

"Aaaah, I see," nodded Ron, knowingly. He looked to Hideyoshi with nearly a leer. "Got a little crush."

"What?" asked Hideyoshi, just realizing they were talking about him. "I don't!"

"Uh-huh," said Ron, implying he did.

"No, I just... she's just very ... uh, interesting," said Hideyoshi who then nodded to himself. "She's interesting... and I like to talk to interesting people."

"Nice recovery," said Hirotaka, sarcastically.

"She knew my neighborhood," said Hideyoshi. "We were just talking about the places we grew up, that's all."

"Yeah, okay, and when did you have this discussion?" asked Ron.

"During the fight," said Hideyoshi.

"So, while practically the whole school was watching me get my butt kicked by Yuudai-sensei, you and Keiko were talking geography," clarified Ron.

"..." started Hideyoshi. "Yeah."

"Right, totally a crush," said Ron.

"He is correct," said Hirotaka, nodding knowingly.

"What would you know?" said Hideyoshi to Hirotaka scornfully. "You've never dated anyone here."

"Perhaps I have not told you of my time in America," said Hirotaka with a smile. "I had many ladies do very amusing things to keep my attention." He grinned smugly. "In Middleton, they like foreigners," he informed Hideyoshi.

"Whatever," said Hideyoshi in return, and looked away.

"Well, anyway," said Ron, deciding to grant Hideyoshi a temporary pardon from the topic. "Let me know if you see Isamu around, okay? In the meantime I need to figure out why Yori is upset with me."

Ron turned to leave but Hirotaka stopped him. "Just out of curiosity, did any of the girls greet you this morning?"

"Yeah," said Ron, offhandedly. "Several, actually. Why?"

"Hmm," said Hirotaka. "Oh, no reason."

---------( KP )---------

"Stoppable-san!"

Ron stopped on his way to lunch when he heard his name called out. He turned to see Yori running up to him at incredible speed. He stepped back instinctively as she came to a fast stop right in front of him. He looked confused at her as she breathed a few times hard then composed herself.

"What's wrong?" asked Ron, unable to hide is bewilderment.

"Setsubun is this Thursday," she said finally. "The village at the bottom of the mountain holds a celebration every year. Would you like to go?"

"Setsubun?" asked Ron. He tried to remember hearing about this before. "Some sort of bread making?"

Yori shook her head. "The setsubun celebration commemorates the start of spring and is much like your new year's eve celebration."

"A party?" asked Ron. "Heck, yeah I'll go. What goes on?"

"Typically there are games, food, and fireworks, in addition to the _mamemaki_."

"Mamemaki?" asked Ron.

"I shall explain it to you when we go," said Yori with a smile.

"Cool," nodded Ron. "Gee, I'm glad you're smiling. I thought for a moment this morning you were upset with me."

"I... was preoccupied by other matters. But I am not upset with you, Stoppable-san."

"Great," said Ron. "Lets see if I can use my newfound abilities to score me some grub."

"We do not typically eat grubs here," said Yori as they walked. "But if you want--"

"No no!" interrupted Ron as they walked. "It's just an expression."

"Oh, haha. You and your American-style..."

---------( KP )---------

Ultimately, Ron wasn't able to leverage his channeling to do anything but stare disappointed at his empty plate. Yori had grabbed a few extra pieces of sushi and was happily sharing them, much to Ron gratitude.

"Um, Stoppable-san?" came a weak voice from behind where Ron and Yori were sitting. Ron turned to see a long haired girl with two other girls behind her. One of the girls was Mayu, whom Ron saw in the morning.

"Hey," said Ron. He didn't know the other two girls' names and wondered how he'd figure them out without insulting them. "What's... uh, up?"

The girl in front looked a little frozen and then Mayu strangely nudged her in the back. The girl yelped slightly and began talking. "Stoppable-san, do you have a moment to talk," she said, hesitated, then continued, "in private?"

"Uh... okay?" said Ron, suspicious. He stood up and followed as the nameless girl walked off towards the now empty training area. Ron felt a strange fire against his back but when he turned to look he only saw Yori staring at him. The girl's friends stayed behind with Yori.

Once they were out of earshot from anyone the girl reluctantly turned around. "Um, Stoppable-san," she started again.

"You know," interrupted Ron. He didn't want to be impolite, but he knew things like this only ended up spiraling out of control if not dealt with head on. He'd seen enough TV to know that. "I don't actually remember your name. It's really embarrassing, and please don't get insult--"

"Akemi Inoue," the girl said quickly.

"Ah," nodded Ron. "I'm very sorry, Inoue-san." He tried to be as respectful as he could remember other people being. He'd just gotten in better graces with the people at Yamanouchi, he didn't want to blow it all by upsetting a classmate.

"Would you like..." Inoue started then hesitated. "Would you like to go to the Setsubun festival?"

"Oh, that," said Ron smiling. "Yeah, I just heard about it, I'm definitely going." He was glad that others were going, maybe he'd finally feel integrated with the school for once.

"O-oh, I mean," stammered the girl. "Would you like to go with me?"

Ron considered that request for a moment. "Well, Yori and I are already going, but we can all go together," he suggested. More people was always better, right? "Are your friends coming too?"

"Oh." Inoue looked down. "I-I don't know," she said after a while.

"Well, let me know then," said Ron. "We can plan a time." He looked back over to where Yori was. She was talking animatedly with the other girls and he wondered what about. "Well, I'm going to get back to my lunch before Yori eats it. But thanks for inviting me." He smiled and nodded, then, awkwardly bowed, then confusingly slunk away from the strangely unmoving girl.

As he was heading back the two girls looked up and then headed past Ron towards Inoue. He should have asked about their names too, he thought, then sighed. There would be another opportunity, he hoped.

"What was that about?" asked Yori when he sat down again. "If you don't mind telling me, Stoppable-san?"

"Hm? Oh, she just wanted to know if I was going to that setsubun thingy you were talking about earlier," said Ron. "I told her we were going but she got all quiet when I said we could all go together. I don't really get it."

Yori looked at Ron with a mixture of confusion and concern.

"What? You too?" said Ron. "Why is everyone getting quiet now when I talk to them?"

After several moments of thought, and a couple glances over at the group of girls, Yori got a slight smile on her face again. "Sorry, Stoppable-san," she said. "You sometimes say very amusing things and... we must contain our laugher at your American wit."

"Oh, then don't hold back," said Ron. "Laugh out loud. It just feels awkward when you get all quiet."

Yori smiled. "I will keep that in mind, Stoppable-san."

---------( KP )---------

Hideyoshi blinked at Ron's story.

"By the kamis," Hideyoshi said. "Twice in one day?"

"Twice... what?" asked Ron, confused.

The two had just left their stealth lesson and were walking across the campus.

"Both Yori-sempai and Inoue-san asked you out," he said. "Surely you understand what they were asking?"

"What?" asked Ron. "No way. Yori knows I'm with Kim and why would Inoue ask me out just because I got my butt whipped by Yuudai-sensei?"

Hideyoshi put his hand on Ron's shoulder and shook his head sadly. "Clearly, you need to learn a bit about women," he said.

"Um, not to be mean, but, how are _you_ a reliable source in that matter?" asked Ron. "Did you ask Keiko to the... uh... setsubun?"

"Keiko?" said Hideyoshi. "Nah, I mean, we're not... you know... it's not..." he trailed off.

Ron looked up. "Good answer."

---------( KP )---------

Hirotaka found Yori sitting in one of the small gardens by the waterfall. She had a somewhat dazed expression on her face and Hirotaka looked intrigued at the scene.

"So," he said, walking over and sitting beside her. "Had an interesting day, I hear."

"What do you mean?" asked Yori. Hirotaka sighed.

"I don't want to be involved," he said simply. "But I really don't want to see you get hurt again. Don't get involved in something you can't finish."

"I don't understand," said Yori, but sounded completely not amused.

Hirotaka frowned in response. "Fine, I've made my attempt." He looked up at the waterfall. "I think I may go too, though."

"Go?" asked Yori.

"Setsubun festival," said Hirotaka.

Yori looked surprised. "But, you never attend festivals. You said they didn't appeal to you."

"It seems this year a lot more of the school will be there," he said nodding. "Also, my previous opinion on Setsubun was based on the presence of food and fireworks, neither of which greatly impress me. But this year I considered who would be there, and decided it could be much more interesting."

"Interesting? How?"

Hirotaka smiled. "I think you'll see."

---------( KP )---------

Hideyoshi and Ron peered around the equipment hut. Three girls were standing in front of one of the living houses talking cheerfully. One was a short, messy haired girl that looked slightly more muscular than the others but all three were fairly athletic looking. The remaining two had longer hair but tied up in buns. One shorter than the short haired girl, one taller.

"Why are we spying on Keiko?" asked Hideyoshi.

"Because you need to get her alone so you can ask her to Setsubun," said Ron, quietly.

"I'm not asking her to Setsubun," insisted Hideyoshi. "And you are the one who thinks that Yori _isn't_ trying to date you by going to the festival with you."

"I didn't say it wasn't a good dating opportunity," pointed out Ron. "Just that Yori's my friend and she knows that."

"You might want to make sure," muttered Hideyoshi.

They watched as the girls talked for a few minutes more, then the two longer haired girls waved and headed away towards one of the dojos.

"Oh, the other two are leaving," said Ron. "Here's your chance."

"I'm not going over there," said Hideyoshi.

"Look at it this way," said Ron. "Either you're not into her like that and you'll just casually be talking to her, or you _are_ into her and this will be your best chance to get in a first date."

"I just met her yesterday," insisted Hideyoshi.

Ron put his hand on Hideyoshi's shoulder and leaned in close. "Just listen to your sempai, alright?"

"I'm no-- uuuaah!"

Ron had pushed him forcefully forward around the hut, causing him to stumble for several steps before getting his balance back. He silently cursed Ron for doing that and vowed some form of deadly revenge. Now he just hoped that he could get back to cover before--

"Hey, Hideyoshi-kun!" The short haired girl waved that Ron had deduced was Keiko Ishinara.

"Oh, hey, Keiko-san," said Hideoyoshi, straightening just a _smidgen_ unnaturally.

"I was just thinking about you," said Keiko, casually. "Good thing you showed up."

"Oh, really?" asked Hideyoshi, then quickly stammered. "I-I mean, yeah, good timing." His mind rattled in his skull.

"So, what's been happening?" she asked with a smile. "How's your friend enjoying the spotlight?"

"Who?" asked Hideyoshi, trying to comprehend what she was saying while his brain tumbled about.

"Stoppable-sempai," she said. "Everyone's been talking about him lately."

"Right, sempai," nodded Hideyoshi. "I mean, yeah, sempai has definitely been popular today."

"Now I feel bad for not paying attention," she said with a laugh.

What did that mean? Hideyoshi thought to himself. She was talking to me while the fight was going on, was she saying the fight would have been more interesting or more worthwhile? That's kinda lousy. Wait, why do I even care? She's just a friend; she doesn't have to find everything I do entertaining. Even if we go to Setsubun together, it'll just be a friends anyway, nothing more... right?

"Uh, Keiko-san, I was just thinking about going to the--"

"Oh, the Setsuban festival is this week!" she suddenly interrupted.

"Set... setsu-- Oh, yeah, it is this week."

"We should totally go," nodded Keiko. "Or do you not like those things?"

"Eh? No!" said Hideyoshi loudly, then he towed it down several notches. "I mean, I was just thinking the same thing, actually."

"Great," cheered Keiko. "Let's plan to head down around just after sunset."

"Okay," nodded Hideyoshi with a smile on his face. He was actually trying not to look that happy over going to the festival but his body refused to listen. Stupid body, always doing it own thing.

"Good," nodded Keiko, looking pleased. "Well, I actually have to get to my next lesson or who knows how many katas I'll be forced to do. So, catch you around!"

Keiko waved as she turned to which Hideyoshi reciprocated with glee. Eventually she vanished between the buildings and Hideyoshi forced himself to stop waving.

"Wow, was that great?" asked Ron as he ran up. "I mean, I couldn't hear much of it but it looked like something good happened." He looked at Hideyoshi's face, which seemed locked in shock. "Something good happened, right?"

"I..." started Hideyoshi. He moved his mouth a few times to no effect, then finally found his voice. "I'm not sure yet. I'll know after this week is over."

"So you did get a date with her?" said Ron, knowingly.

"We're going to Setsubun together."

"That sounds great," said Ron.

"But," Hideyoshi said with a start. "I barely know her! I don't even know what she likes or dislikes or... or anything! How am I supposed to get through a night with her?"

"Luck," said Ron, mostly from experience. Hideyoshi looked at him with broad skepticism.

"I'm not following your advice on this," said Hideyoshi, turning. "I'm going to talk to Hirotaka-kun."

"Oh, come on!" yelled Ron after him. "What does he know that I don't??"

---------( KP )---------

Ron and Yori sat on the floor facing one another in Ron's room. They were both sitting cross-legged and had their bodies in relaxed positions.

"Okay," said Ron. "Just, um... well, try to sleep."

"Sleep?" asked Yori.

"Well, I need to pull you out of your dreams, so you'd have to be asleep for me to do that," said Ron. "Or in a deep meditative state, like Master Sensei, but I'm not really sure how he does that."

"What do you and Master Sensei do to train?" asked Yori. "I've never been able to get to the dreamscape on my own, so Master Sensei never trained me there."

"Oh, we pretty much walk in and out of people's dreams," said Ron. "There are always people dreaming, somewhere in the world. If it was later, we could look at the dreams of people here at Yamanouchi, but right now we'll have to settle for people outside Japan."

"Could we see the dreams of your friends in Middleton?" asked Yori.

"Uhh," started Ron. "I suppose we could try looking for them. It's way in the AMs over there so they're probably asleep. I was able to track Shego across worlds so finding Wade or Monique's dreams shouldn't be too hard." He thought about that for a second. "Assuming Wade sleeps, which I'm not sure he does."

"What about..." Yori seemed pensive. "What about Possible-san?"

"Kim?" asked Ron, then shifted about uncomfortably. "I've... already been there once... I'd prefer not to go again." He looked down, solemnly.

Yori looked away but was somewhat pleased to know he hadn't been lurking in Kim's dreams, even if they claimed to be dating.

"Anyway, we'll try finding a few people," said Ron. "If we have a lot of success we can try for a few more, but we have to remember to come back and sleep eventually."

"Sleep? Won't be already be sleeping?" asked Yori.

"Master Sensei says that your mind must sleep as well as your body, so while you're technically 'asleep' while dreamwalking, you're not getting any of it's benefits."

"Oh," said Yori. Years she had spent learning to channel the dream from Master Sensei, but she was now discovering that he had taught her very little about _sansaku no kyuumu_ in general.

Yori closed her eyes and tried to relax herself, letting her mind and body settle, drifting into deeper meditation. She had gotten this far many times in her training to channel, but she knew she had to go deeper if Ron were to pull her into the dreamscape. She cleared her mind further, thinking of and only considering the emptiness. Her mind floated over several other topics, none of them sticking, as she continued to relax. Until she could feel nothing more from her body and began to lose the binding that wound her consciousness when awake. Thoughts, images, sounds, feelings, all blurred and became murky.

Then they suddenly snapped back into focus as she was standing on a white road surrounded by millions of spheres of light against a black expanse. Ron was walking up to her, slipping around and between the floating orbs to close the distance.

"There you are," he said with a smile.

"Stoppable-san," Yori said looking around. "There's so many more dreams here."

"Really?" Ron asked. "This is about normal for me. You mean you saw fewer of them when Master Sensei brought you here?"

Yori nodded and looked closely at a sphere as it drifted past. Someone was dreaming of flying through a big city and playing with clouds. Yori laughed at the look of delight on the dreamer's face. "It's beautiful."

"It is," said Ron, looking around. "The problem is finding just one." He held out his hand and several spheres began to drift towards it, hovering in a ring over his palm. He looked into each as it spun past.

"You have to look into each one?"

Ron nodded. "I can call dreams with similar themes, but if I'm looking for a particular person's dream, it's a little harder." He shook his head then closed his palm slowly, letting the dream spheres drift away gently. "Sensei was much better at it than I am."

"I guess that's why he wanted you to practice," said Yori, looking around in amazement. So many dreams, she wondered if they were sorted in any way, or if they just aimlessly ebbed and surged like the tide. Yori felt a pang of jealousy at Ron that he could come here so effortlessly while she could never arrive without an escort.

"Oh, here we go," said Ron, suddenly. Yori looked over to see him peering into a silvery orb. She moved closer to look over his shoulder.

"Who is this?" asked Yori.

"Brick Flagg," said Ron with a grin. "He's a quarterback in our school. Well, was. He graduated last year. I think he works in an auto shop now."

"Can we enter his dream?" asked Yori, anxious to see more.

"Of course," said Ron. He held the orb close then slowly sank his hand into the silvery pool. He was up to his elbow when his eyes lit up and suddenly the orb exploded around them, sucking them in.

---------( KP )---------

The house was unusually warped with strange, skewed rooms and peculiarly vaulted ceiling on the fist floor. The walls were covered in splotches of color, sometimes the same, others wildly clashing and crawling along the surface, mixing with other colors to form little baby splotches of color.

Ron and Yori looked around in amazement.

"It looks like a fun house," said Ron, frowning.

"I do not believe I would have a lot of fun in this house," said Yori.

"Oh, no, I mean--"

Suddenly a scream rang out and a large muscular boy came running out of a doorway with a bag on his head and crossed the room to exit on the opposite side. A gang of papers, textbooks, pencils and calculators emerged from the first door and chased after him making sounds like a pack of wolves. A few minutes later a stapler hopped by, leading a parade of paperclips.

"Was that you friend?" asked Yori after the shock settled slightly.

"The boy or the stapler?" asked Ron.

"The boy," clarified Yori as she watched an ottoman suddenly begin moving of its own volition.

"It sounded like Brick." Ron considered everything he'd seen and reluctantly decided to follow the parade into the next room. Yori followed, deciding not to let much distance get between her and Ron.

They ended up in the kitchen. Brick, or at least the boy who looked like him, was clinging to a hanging lamp while the papers, which Ron now recognized as exams, leapt up and tried to bite him. The textbooks and calculators were viciously growling at him while the pencils were working with the paperclips to build a ladder.

"Go away!" yelled Brick, clinging for his dear life. "You can't have me anymore! I graduated!"

"Not until you pass your final grown-up tests," crooned the exams. "I come in three parts!"

"Noooo!"

Ron looked at Yori. "I'm starting to figure out why it took Brick seven years to graduate."

"This is his nightmare," Yori said as the realization dawned on her.

"Yeah," nodded Ron. "It's all perspective though, so it's hard to tell from the outside."

"He must have had a stressful youth," said Yori, watching Brick try to climb into a tight ball against the ceiling. Below him the paperclips and pencils had formed a ladder propped against the stapler and were letting the exams and textbooks climb up.

"You wouldn't have thought so if you met him," said Ron, raising his eyebrows. "I think we better leave."

"Yes," agreed Yori, who was suddenly less enamored by this whole dreamwalking experience.

Ron walked around the room, searching the walls thoroughly before gripping a corner of a piece of moulding and pulling it apart, causing the whole scene to collapse back into a silvery ball and float away.

Yori and Ron found themselves on the white path again. Despite the surreal nature of this scene, Yori preferred it to the skewed suburban home they had just departed. She hoped they found a better dream next.

Ron, on the other hand, was staring in confusion at something behind Yori. She turned slowly, hoping that the recliner from Brick's dream had not followed them, but instead noticed a large spiral stone staircase descending below the white path to darkness below.

"Was..." started Ron, unsure of how to take the appearance of new geography in the dreamscape. This had certainly never happened with Master Sensei. "Was that there before?"

"It was not," said Yori, stepping closer to examine the deep hole. "I can't see the bottom."

"Why would a staircase appear?" asked Ron. "I didn't think the dreamscape was malleable."

"How did you cross worlds in search of Shego?" asked Yori. "Did you not take a path?"

"No, actually," said Ron. "I had to enter my own dream and forge a gateway there, not out here in the 'scape."

Yori and Ron walked up to the edge of the staircase and stared at it, unsure. "Should we use it?" asked Yori after a minute.

"Master Sensei never told me what to do in a situation like this," said Ron. He squinted to see if he could see where the staircase ended, but there was only black. "Though he repeatedly warned me that the dreamscape was dangerous. Maybe this is what he meant."

"A staircase is dangerous?" asked Yori.

"I'm more concerned about where it leads," said Ron. "I think we should leave it alone."

"Okay," said Yori. She was half glad. Seeing how strange people's dreams could be had unsettled her and she didn't really want to risk seeing something so much worse they buried underground.

She was, however, half very interested on what was down there.

---------( KP )---------

Ron looked wearily at his empty plate at lunch. They had visited several other dreams last night while dreamwalking, though none of people Ron knew. Still, they stayed up later than he had planned in the dreamscape and thus he was not suffering from serious sleep deprivation.

"Bleh," moaned Ron as he attempted to eat the plate.

"Here," said Yori, who still looked bright eyed despite getting just as much food as Ron had. She handed him some pieces of sushi to prevent him from swallowing ceramic. Ron chomped down on the pieces with vigor.

"Hey, Stoppable-kun, Yori-san," said Hirotaka as he came up with his own plate of sushi. "I didn't see you this morning."

"We overslept," said Yori. "Yuudai-sensei had us doing repetitive katas again. This time with the sai and the nodachi."

"You overslept... together?" asked Hirotaka, with an amused smile.

"I was..." Yori blushed slightly but continued after only a moment's hesitation. "I had slept in Stoppable-san's room, but we slept separately."

"Of course, my mistake," said Hirotaka but he was still smiling.

"We were practicing until late at night," slurred Ron. "Lost track of time."

"Practicing in your room," clarified Hirotaka.

"Yeah," said Ron. Then he paused. "I mean--"

"So when is everyone heading down to Setsubun?" interrupted Hirotaka.

Yori looked at Ron who blearily stared in an aimless direction. "Probably before sundown," said Yori. "The games start then."

"Interesting," said Hirotaka. "I'll probably plan to come slightly later, as I understand Hideyoshi-kun will be arriving after sundown."

"You're going with him?" asked Ron, catching part of the conversation.

"With him and Keiko-san," said Hirotaka. "He begged me last night to go with him."

"Hrm," grumbled Ron. His efforts at matchmaking were not as successful as he had thought. He would have to find another way to help.

"Hey, Stoppable-kun, have you run into Isamu yet?" asked Hirotaka.

"No, he didn't show up at morning practice yesterday or today," said Ron. "I'm a little concerned."

"Then you should come with me." Hirotaka turned towards the back of the school grounds and beckoned Ron.

Ron blinked and looked to Yori once then stood and shrugged. "All right," he said, and followed.

---------( KP )---------

The waterfall coming off of Mount Yamanouchi was tall but narrow and fell into a deep pond in the rear of the monastery. After the centuries of care the area had been turned into a gigantic but meticulously cared for bonsai garden that many of the instructors at the school came to for meditation. Ron felt almost sacrilegious wading through the pristine pool towards the falls.

"It's cold," he complained back towards the shore.

"Go on," said Hirotaka from a bench near the pond. He waved Ron on.

Ron sighed and approached the waterfall. The cold water fell like hammers onto the pond and even mere drops felt like stingers on Ron's skin. He shivered from the cold and the needling sensation and grit his teeth as he walked on. With each centimeter the water seemed colder and his knees strained under the pressure from the water. Ron felt his ears and nose fill with water and he scrambled forward to hopefully shorten the pain. In an instant his shins smacked into something hard and Ron toppled forward through the falls and onto hard ground beyond.

Ron was puzzled at first but as he climbed out of the water onto the stone beyond he realized there had been a cave carved out behind the waterfall, and a fairly big one too.

He also noticed Isamu, sitting cross-legged in the dark shadows beyond. The boy looked up, shocked at Ron, who shivered in the cold. He wrapped his arms around his chest for warmth and chattered through nearly frozen teeth.

"I-Isamu," said Ron.

"Sempai," Isamu said. He was frozen in shock. Apparently he never suspected someone would find him here. Ron noticed he was dry and wondered how long he'd been hiding.

"Why are you back here?" asked Ron, clenching his teeth to keep them from chattering. "Have you been going to training?"

Isamu looked strangely afraid then slowly turned away with a frown. "I haven't," he replied.

"Why?" asked Ron.

"I've... been wondering if I'm on the right path," he said slowly.

"You weren't convinced that I belong here?" asked Ron. He was starting to get a little angry. He practically killed himself trying to prove he hadn't cheated his way into Yamanouchi and it was all for nothing.

"No, I don't doubt you," said Isamu, looking down. "I'm not sure I'm worthy to be here."

"You?" asked Ron, confused. "You got picked to be here, why would you think you don't belong?"

"I wonder if they only looked at me because of my uncle," said Isamu looking towards Ron. "I'd never won an award or fought in a famous fight. I don't have special skills."

"You know that's not the only things they look at here," said Ron. He figured, at least, considering how poor Ron himself was at fighting.

"I'm starting to get that," said Isamu. "But why did they look at me to begin with? If I had been the nephew of someone boring, would they still have watched me long enough to see if I could come here? In the end, did they say 'Isamu-san is good for a martial artist' or 'Isamu-san is good for a Nakasumi'?"

Ron tried to think of something to say to console the kid, but had little idea of what made a proper Yamanouchi Ninja candidate. His own admittance was unique, based on his inheritance of the mystical monkey power. Many of the students at the school were descendants of Yamanouchi graduates as well, probably allowed in due to heritage. How _did_ Yamanouchi decide to let in people like Isamu or Hideyoshi?

"It doesn't matter," said Ron.

"What?" asked Isamu. "What if they were taking pity on me?"

"What if they were?" asked Ron. "Does that make the education here not good anymore? Does it make you ill-fit to learn?"

Isamu frowned. "If this place doesn't have an honorable system of--"

"Isamu." Ron moved over to sit beside the boy. "What do you think about the training you've done and seen at Yamanouchi?"

The boy narrowed his eyes indignantly at Ron but when the elder student continued staring he faltered a bit. "I... think it's good," he said reluctantly.

"Just good?" asked Ron.

Isamu looked away. "Maybe some of the best that I've seen, and I visited many dojos when I first started the art."

"Then what does it matter how they decided to let you in?" asked Ron. "You said to me before that you came here to make something of yourself. To try your hardest despite the fact that you could easily ride out on your name alone. Well, maybe you got here because of your name, but that doesn't mean this isn't a great opportunity for you."

Ron looked out at the waterfall and sunlight streaming in. "You don't always get to choose the people or situations you end up in. Sometimes life just throws things at you randomly to see what will stick." Ron looked back down at the boy. "You do get to choose what you do with those things. How you shape them. How you live."

Isamu looked up in awe at Ron and for the first time, Ron felt he understood a little bit about why Master Sensei was so patient with him.

"Would you stay?" asked Isamu.

"I'm here, aren't I?" asked Ron.

Isamu looked out at the light beyond the waterfall. "I'm sorry I treated you so poorly before," he said. "It wasn't ... honorable."

"S'okay," smiled Ron. "It's not like everyone else wasn't thinking it."

"But they aren't anymore," said Isamu. "You showed them you are strong."

"It was just a fight," said Ron, grimacing. "It'll pass. Trust me, I've touched fame a few times before, it never lasts." He pushed up back onto his feet then looked sadly at the waterfall. "There isn't a... uh, dryer method of getting out of here, is there?"

Isamu looked at Ron sympathetically.

---------( KP )---------

Yori showed up to her ropes class a little early to practice some of her moves using a knotted rope as a weapon. She had gone through several different techniques of flinging the knot like a mace when they arrived.

She was confused at first, most of the small band of girls were not typically in her class but she knew schedules were changed all the time. But when they stared at her with eyes filled with venom, she knew something was up and, as usual, Yori hadn't been informed.

She wrapped the rope between her hip and shoulder and walked over to the girls with a confused look at her face. "What is going on?" asked Yori.

The lead girl had shorter, shoulder length dark hair with a narrow nose and sharp features. Yori recognized her as one of the girls in her morning practices who had showed up yesterday with Inoue. Mayu was her name. She didn't look pleased.

"I didn't notice you during our morning class," said Mayu with sneer. "But Achika reminded me that you were there when Akemi-chan was talking about the Setsubun festival."

Yori frowned, but said nothing.

"She was talking about asking Stoppable-san out to the festival," she said. "And then you strangely vanished afterwards." Mayu cocked her head to the side. "Where did you go, Yori-san?"

"It was nearing lunch," said Yori, deliberately. "I went to get some before Rufus-san got there." She looked to the other girls briefly. "There isn't often much left when he's done."

"But you didn't go directly to lunch," said Mayu, drawing Yori's attention back.

Yori looked suspiciously at the girls. She couldn't determine if she was in genuine danger or just social danger. She could handle the latter, social standing mattered very little to her. "I met up with Stoppable-san first."

"Yes," nodded Mayu. "And by the time Akemi-chan came to ask him out during lunch, he was already suspiciously going with you."

Again, Yori said nothing.

Mayu stepped closer, invading much of Yori's personal space, and stood eye to eye with her. "The way I look at it, Yori-san," she said, emphasizing the honorific for some reason. "You had your chance already."

"Chance?" asked Yori.

"With Stoppable-san," clarified Mayu. "You had six months to make your move. Now it's time for you to step back."

Yori frowned. "Stoppable-san is a close friend," she said.

"And it's clear that's all it will ever be between you two," said Mayu.

For some reason, Yori felt a pang in her heart at those words, but she kept her composure. "You don't get to decide that," she said.

"You're right," nodded Mayu. "Stoppable-san gets to." She backed down from being so close to Yori. "And he has."

Yori fought back the bubbling rage in her heart and just stood there as Mayu smiled smugly then motioned for the rest of the girls to leave. They walked away confidently, leaving Yori shaking on the inside with rage.

And grief.

---------( KP )---------

Ron sneezed violently while he was trying to do a nunchaku kata and successfully struck himself squarely in the face during the distraction. He nose felt crooked and began gushing with so much blood Ron thought he was going on faint.

"Aw, geeze, Stoppable-san," said the instructor, a woman named Hasegawa. "I thought you'd gotten over that."

"Naw," said Ron, trying to hold his nose from bleeding. "Ifths thib code I gob frumb tha wabber faul."

Hasegawa-sensei blinked. "Uh, right," she nodded. "Why don't we have someone take you back to the infirmary."

Immediately several hands went up from the female population of the class offering to take him. Hasegawa-sensei knew better than to indulge these girls so she carefully picked one who didn't appear interested.

"Ichinara-san, please take Stoppable-san to the infirmary."

"Yes, sensei," said Keiko. She put down her pair of nunchaku and gently took Ron's arm and started guiding him towards the house used as a hospital. The other girls in the class looked on at her, envious.

"Ahem!" Hasegawa-sensei cleared her throat. The girls turned back... most of them anyway.

---------( KP )---------

"Thank youb," said Ron to Keiko, his nose now fully bandaged. It hadn't been broken, thankfully, but definitely badly bruised. The doctor had been concerned there would be swelling so he applied some ice and a cream that was supposed to help. Ron nodded when he could but much of the medical talk flew over his head. He knew enough to decline the mustard poultice at least.

"You're welcome, Stoppable-san," said Keiko, respectfully. She was quite a competent girl, though Ron, and decidedly less flighty around him than the others had been in the last couple days. He actually appreciated someone only paying him a passing amount of attention.

"So," he said. "I heard you're going to the Setsubun."

"Yes," nodded Keiko. "With Hideyoshi... and Hirotaka." She said Hirotaka's name almost reluctantly.

"Dating two guys at the same time, huh?" said Ron. "That's pretty good."

"Ah, no," Keiko shook her head. "I'm not sure how they do it in America, but they're just friends."

"Oh, sorry," said Ron. "I didn't mean to be disrespectful."

"It's okay," said Keiko. She sat down next to the bed Ron was recovering on. "I heard you've had some attention lately too."

"A little," said Ron, wearily.

"I always thought you were close to Yori," she commented.

"I am," said Ron. "But not that close," he added. "Uh, not that she isn't my closest friend here, because she is, but, I mean, we're not _close_ close, we're just... uh... close." Ron hesitated for a moment. This isn't quite the way he intended this to go.

"So you aren't going out?" asked Keiko.

"No, I've got a girlfriend in the US," said Ron.

"But you haven't been home in six months," said Keiko, amazed. "Does she not miss you?"

"I... err... I'm not sure," said Ron. "I haven't talked her since I left."

"Oh," said Keiko before going silent for several moments. "Are you and she... betrothed?"

Ron coughed in surprise. "Betrothed??" asked Ron. "No, no, we're not -- uh, not betrothed. We just started dating last summer, actually."

"And you left her to come to Yamanouchi so quickly?"

"Not... intentionally, but yes," said Ron, feeling uncomfortable. "You know, what about... uh, I mean, so are you and Hirotaka close?" Ron had to change the subject, it was starting to get... into that uncomfortable zone.

"Not really," said Keiko. "I've been here a while so I know of the 'great' Hirotaka. We've talked a few times, that's all."

"Oh, so you really don't know either of the guys you're going with?" asked Ron.

"No, I know a lot about Hideyoshi," she said. "We've been talking a lot and we eat lunch together."

"Oh," said Ron. This was more where he was hoping things would go. "He's from Kyoto, I think."

"I know," said Keiko. "Would you believe so am I?"

"No way!" said Ron. This was good, he putting up a convincing front! He was sure of it.

"It was strange but, you know, kinda cool to have someone to talk about home with. It's..." she blushed ever so slightly. "Comforting."

Ron smiled. "Seems like you got a lot in common with Hideyoshi."

"I... suppose," she said slowly.

"Hirotaka almost seems like a fifth wheel," said Ron.

Keiko said nothing.

"You know, Hirotaka is a good friend of mine, I could have him go with me and Yori instead if you want."

"Uhh," started Keiko. She looked conflicted. "I'm not--"

"Actually, we're going to need him to move that... uh," Ron wracked his brain. Wait, wrack! "Equipment wrack! Yeah, the equipment rack has to be moved after sundown. So we need his help anyway." Ron looked over at her but couldn't see her face because of her hair falling forward and obscuring it. "You don't mind, do you?" Ron asked, giving her an out.

"No, not really," said Keiko and Ron nodded with a smile.

---------( KP )---------

"You're going down to Setsubun with us, Hirotaka," said Ron that night as they gathered after dinner.

"I am?" asked Hirotaka. He looked between Ron and Yori but the former was strangely unreadable and Yori seemed not to be paying attention at Ron's antics tonight.

"He is?" asked Hideyoshi with even more surprise. "Wait, he's already going with me."

"Not anymore," said Ron simply. "I already talked with Keiko about it."

"Y-y-y-y-y-y-you WHAT?" sputtered Hideyoshi.

Hirotaka grinned and put his had on Hideyoshi's shoulder. "Ah, Hideyoshi-kun. He's outmaneuvered you again."

"Now nothing can get in the way of your date," said Ron, pleased with himself.

"It's not a date!" yelled Hideyoshi.

"I'd say two people going to a festival together constitutes a date, don't you think so, Stoppable-kun?" asked Hirotaka.

"Definitely," nodded Ron.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" yelled Hideyoshi as he ran around like a maniac.

---------( KP )---------

Ron and Yori stood in the expanse of the dreamscape that night staring at the tiny motes of light that represented dreams. The staircase was still there, and Ron was doing his best to ignore it so he wouldn't be tempted to descend. Yori was currently standing directly beside it and occasionally peered down the endless hole in wonder doing a decidedly bad job at ignoring it.

"I think we should go down, Stoppable-san," said Yori, speaking up for the first time in quite a while.

"I really want to wait for Master Sensei," said Ron. "I'm sure if he wanted me to walk down staircases, he would have told me."

"Perhaps he could not see it," suggested Yori. "Just as I could not see so many dreams the first time I was here."

"That only makes me more nervous," said Ron. "If there was something hiding from Master Sensei, I definitely don't want to know why." Ron pulled a dream out of the air. "Here's another one of my classmates," he said. "Want to take a look?"

"As long as there is no moving furniture," said Yori, looking one last time down the staircase before heading towards Ron.

---------( KP )---------

The morning of the Setsubun festival proved to be exactly the kind of morning Ron would have typically stayed home for except for the fact that he now lived on the same grounds as his school. The early morning mist was thick and felt like a dense blanket over everything. The cloudy sky peppered the blackness now but would soon cast a gray light over everything on the grounds.

"Ugh," said Ron to Hirotaka and Hideyoshi after morning practices. "Gloomy day."

"Its terrible weather for fireworks," said Hideyoshi. "Not the best Setsubun day we could have asked for."

"It'll clear up," said Hirotaka. Ron and Hideyoshi looked at him.

"You're a weatherman now?" said Ron.

"It's still early," clarified Hirotaka. "There's plenty of time for it to blow over and leave a cloudless night."

"Yeah, well, in the meantime, be careful when you're around the first year shuriken class," said Hideyoshi. "If you think their aim is bad normally, I can't imagine what it'll be like when they can't even see their targets."

Hirotaka and Ron thought about that for a moment and, for once, completely agreed with Hideyoshi.

"I better get to class," said Ron, heading towards the practice grounds. Hirotaka and Hideyoshi headed off in another direction towards their own class.

"Hey, Hirotaka-kun," said Hideyoshi as they walked. "If you were... you know, hypothetically speaking, on a date with a girl you only knew for a couple days. What would you talk about?"

Hirotaka considered that. "If you still don't know much about her, then just ask her various things about her past. Whatever she answers, talk about it. Give your opinion or it happened to you."

Hideyoshi nodded, rapt in attention.

"Talking isn't a big deal anyway," said Hirotaka. "When I was in America, I just let all the girls do the talking and mostly stayed quiet."

"That's not really different than what you do here," pointed out Hideyoshi. Hirotaka shrugged in response. "Okay, so talk about her past and comment on it."

"Not necessarily comment," said Hirotaka. "Commiserate. You don't want criticize her, you want to give the impression that you care about whatever she's saying."

"What if I don't?" asked Hideyoshi. "What she talked to me about make-up or hair styling?"

Hirotaka stared at Hideyoshi. "Have you seen her?" he said. "I'm not sure she wears makeup. Odds are she'll talk to you about _street fights_."

"Oh, cool," smiled Hideyoshi. "I know about that."

Hirotaka laughed. "So has this _hypothetical_ situation about me been helpful?"

"Er..." started Hideyoshi. "Yeah, the hypothetical was helpful." He nodded, mostly to himself, assured that he'd safely covered his tracks. "Well, I head off here. See you later!"

Hirotaka nodded and shook his head with a smile as he continued on his way. He arrived at his judo training just in time to see Yori running up. Class still had another couple minutes before it started, but Hirotaka knew sometimes the teacher would start at odd times to ensure people to show up early.

"Hey," he said to Yori as she walked up.

"Good morning," she said politely and quietly.

"How have you been holding out recently?" asked Hirotaka.

"I slept better than yesterday," she said simply. "Otherwise things are fine."

"Really?"

"Really."

Hirotaka looked at her skeptically, then he leaned in closer. "You don't have anything you want to talk about?"

Yori turned her head to look at him sharply. "No."

Hirotaka raised his hands in surrender. "All right." Then he stuck them in his pockets and turned. "Just let me know if you change your mind."

---------( KP )---------

By lunchtime, things still had not cleared up and Hideyoshi was starting to feel like the evening was going to be a bust. He, Ron and Yori were sitting on the front porch of one of the training buildings eating sushi. Ron had actually caught a few pieces from the lunch lady, making him beam with delight as he savored each one.

Then groan in hunger when both were done. Yori laughed and gave him a couple pieces of her sushi to which Ron thanked her profusely.

"I hate practicing in this weather," said Hideyoshi picking around his food. "It's all humid and makes my gi stick to my skin."

"Just take it off then," said Yori casually, then blinked and covered her mouth. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"Ahh, got a desire to see some Hideyoshi skin, huh?" asked Hideyoshi in a salacious way.

"I do not," Yori abruptly replied and turned away.

"It's okay, you can admit it," insisted Hideyoshi. "I'm all man."

"You're all _boy,_" said Yori, then quieted before she made herself look any more foolish.

"Uh-huh," nodded Hideyoshi. He nudged Ron slightly.

"Stop that," said Ron, and gobbled another piece of sushi.

Ron heard nearby laughter suddenly and he looked up to see a small cluster of younger students laughing at another student holding his platter of sushi. Ron strained his eyes but he could have sworn that the single student looked like Isamu.

After a few more moments of laughter, the boy turned and walked slowly away. As he made his way past the area Ron was sitting at he knew it was Isamu.

"Hey," he called out to the younger boy. Isamu looked up at him and reluctantly walked over.

"Yes, sempai," he said, softly.

"What's going on over there?" asked Ron. "You didn't look too happy."

Isamu looked down at his sushi, wondering if it would jump up and respond for him. When the sushi plan failed he opened his mouth. "They're ... making fun of me."

Ron blinked. "Why?"

"Because... I made a big deal about challenging you and it turned out you were good enough to face Yuudai-sensei." He looked away. "They think I'm a fool now."

Ron frowned then moved slightly closer to Yori. "Come on." He motioned to where he had sat. "Eat with us."

Isamu looked up, shocked. "S-sempai?"

"This is at least partly my fault," Ron said, looking somewhat embarrassed. "So, at least until it blows over you can eat with us."

Isamu bowed deeply. "Thank you, sempai." He came over and sat down, eating his food deliberately.

"Don't let them get to you kid," said Hideyoshi. "Everyone makes a few mistakes, even them."

Isamu nodded solemnly.

---------( KP )---------

"I'll be damned," said Ron as he stared up at the swiftly drifting clouds.

"It's not a clear sky," admitted Hirotaka. "But it's close enough to see fireworks."

"How did you know?" asked Ron. The clouds were moving off leaving behind large empty spaces showing the light orange hues of the early evening sky.

Hirotaka just smiled and patted Ron on the shoulder. "Live up here long enough you get a feeling for the weather."

Hirotaka, Ron and Yori were heading down the path from the school towards the village for the festival. They had traded their typical outfits for some nicer clothes that Yori and Hirotaka had. Yori was wearing a yukata colored light blue with some pink patterns on it tied with a dark brown obi belt. Hirotaka had a darker men's kimono colored grey with an occasional circular pattern matted on it and a black obi. Ron, who borrowed a kimono from Hirotaka, was dressed in a deep, dark blue with a dark brown obi featuring a simple silver pattern.

The kimono Ron was wearing was loose and light, drifting behind him slightly as they walked and felt barely covering him though he could see in a mirror that he was practically covered from the neck down, thanks to the black hakama divided pants he got from Hirotaka. It was quite a process to put the garment on, Ron discovered, and Hirotaka hinted that Yori's would have taken her much more time, so he appreciated the effort she made.　　Still, he felt odd, for some reason. Like he was dressed in pajamas going to a formal event.

Yori had not said very much all day, Ron noticed, and was starting to get concerned about her. But when she arrived in her yukata, she was smiling warmly at him so he decided to dismiss his concerns. It was going to be a great night, tonight, he could tell.

If they ever made it down the mountain.

---------( KP )---------

"Uh, wow," said Hideyoshi before he could catch himself. Keiko was standing before him in a simple, lightly colored yukata with her hair delicately combed and wearing a pair of geta with split toed tabi socks. Her normal edge had somehow been smoothed and she looked completely unlike the girl he'd talked to only yesterday.

To his own credit, Hideyoshi was wearing the nicest kimono he had, which, admittedly, was a discount item he picked up last fall in Kyoto. It was covered in autumn colors but still looked rather nice, but nothing compared to Keiko's.

"I mean, are you ready to go?" Hideyoshi finally said when his mind caught up with his mouth.

"Yup," said Keiko as she hopped down from the porch and walked over to him. She held her hands clasped in front of her as she walked and Hideyoshi could barely believe she was acting so subdued.

Hideyoshi turned as she reached him and they walked side by side out of the monastery and onto the path. "Have you been to the Setsuban festival in this village before?" asked Hideyoshi as they walked.

"I haven't," said Keiko. "But I have been to the downtown Kyoto one several times."

"Oh, yeah, me too," said Hideyoshi. "I always used to get a goldfish every year. I think my father started to get annoyed when it looked like we had a fish farm."

Keiko laughed. "My parents never really liked the games, they were there for the shopping and eating."

"Right, the food," nodded Hideyoshi. "Although I mostly stuck to the street vendors. Anything that's served on a stick," he smiled meekly.

"Mostly I did the same," nodded Keiko. "I think a couple times we ate at a restaurant but we couldn't afford to it frequently."

"Yeah," said Hideyoshi. "I know the feeling."

They reached the small stream crossing a little ways from the waterfall that hid the opening to the monastery. Hideyoshi moved slightly ahead and turned to hold out his arm.

"Here," he said, leaning over the stream. "I doubt you can move your legs easily in that thing."

Keiko nodded and took a hold of Hideyoshi's arm, letting him help her make the few short hops over the stream without getting her yukata wet. Once they were on the other side they continued walking but Keiko didn't let go of his arm. Hideyoshi glanced down but then quickly looked up again, so as not to draw attention. Maybe she is afraid of falling, he thought. Or just forgot to let go.

He looked at Keiko and saw her slightly flushed. Maybe she just wants to hold my arm, though Hideyoshi. That would mean...

Now Hideyoshi looked flushed.

---------( KP )---------

It was like a carnival.

Ron looked around amazed at all the things he saw. Besides the weird but rather tasty food, there were games with prizes and tests of skill just like at a carnival or the boardwalk. Strings of paper lamps had been hung all across the small booths that were erected throwing colored light all across the street.

Hirotaka had played a game of throwing small bladed darts which he easily beat, given his substantial shuriken training, and was rewarded with some sort of a paper fan that reminded Ron of Yori's typical weapon. Afterwards a procession of excessively ornate warriors came past dressed in what Hirotaka insisted was traditional armor.

Ron tried catching a goldfish with a paper net but found the entire process confused and, ultimately, impossible. Yori, naturally, laughed at his antics which he supposed was at least one good thing that came out of the attempt.

It was still early in the night when Yori paused and turned her head towards the sky.

"What is it?" asked Ron. "Fireworks already?"

Yori shook her head but said nothing, just listening intently. Ron tried to hear what she heard but the only sounds he could pick up on were from the many people at the festival and various sounds of the games.

"Do you hear it, Hirotaka-san?" Yori eventually asked, still looking up into the sky.

Hirotaka frowned and looked up to listen as well. Suddenly his eyes became wider. "Helicopters," he said, then frowned. "A lot of them."

"Where is the nearest USFJ base?" asked Yori.

"Atsugi in Kanagawa," said Hirotaka. "But that's east of here, not north."

Yori listened closely some more then turned rapidly to Ron. "We need to go," she said.

"Go?" asked Ron.

"Back to the school," said Hirotaka, still looking to the sky.

"Because of a few helicopters?" asked Ron. "Those things are flying around all the time in the US."

"They shouldn't be here, though," said Hirotaka. "They never fly over here. Yamanouchi graduates make sure of it."

Yori pushed gently on Ron's shoulder. "We need to _go_," she insisted.

Ron nodded and began wading through the crowd back towards the mountain path. They had just exited the crowd when they heard a deep sounding bell echoing through the mountains. Yori and Hirotaka stopped for a moment and looked to one another then started running.

Ron struggled to keep up. "What's with the gong?" he asked between breaths.

"It's the school," said Yori. "It's the alarm."

Suddenly two forms dropped from out of sight onto the path beside the three. Yori quickly produced her fan from somewhere inside her yukata and held it at ready.

"Woah, woah!" yelled Hideyoshi with his hands up. "It's just us!"

Yori slowly lowered her fan as she recognized Hideyoshi and Keiko. Then she frowned and started running again. They all followed.

"What's going on?" asked Keiko.

"We're not sure," said Ron. "Hirotaka said he heard helicopters."

"What could that mean?" asked Hideyoshi.

Ron shrugged.

The five students ran as fast as they could up the long jagged path until Ron felt all the food he ate at the festival start to rumble in his stomach. Unable to keep up, he slowed down slightly and began taking gasping breaths.

"Stoppable-san," said Yori as she turned back to him. She put a gentle hand on his back but urged him on. "It's not far."

"I'm not going to make it," Ron said, dramatically.

"I thought you were getting into better shape," Yori accused.

"I'm surprised I made it _this_ far!"

The mountain suddenly rumbled and a sharp noise rung out like thunder. Yori looked upwards towards the school and suddenly saw several flashes of red light followed by plumes of black smoke. Her jaw hung open.

"By the kamis," said Hideyoshi nearby in awe.

"Stay here," Hirotaka suddenly said. He then leapt an impossible distance and vanished into the folds of the mountain.

"Wait!" yelled Yori but it was too late.

"What's happening?" asked Keiko, nervously hanging onto Hideyoshi's arm.

"We're being... attacked?" Yori said in wonder.

Another sound echoed like an explosion and the four students could see flames lap around the edges of the walls around the monastery. Black smoke was filling the air and the rumbling of heavy things falling continued unabated.

Ron frowned. He was terribly out of breath and far from a model student at Yamanouchi. He'd made a reputation for escaping situations he'd been thrust into and letting others do the fighting. Fire and explosions were things he'd traditionally run away from.

But he was trying to be a better hero than he'd been.

"Come on," he said, pushing himself back onto his feet and heading up the path towards the monastery. "If there's something wrong, there's a chance we can do something."

He walked dutifully forward, straining against his shallow breath and sore muscles. But he didn't walk alone.

---------( KP )---------

Yamanouchi was in flames.

Ron could barely believe his eyes as he saw the towering fires and fallen walls and buildings on the campus grounds. Yori was probably even more astonished as they reached the former gates. But none of them had time to be distracted.

Ninjas, dressed in black with silver tigers embroidered on them were swarming the school, locked in deadly combat with many of the teachers at Yamanouchi. They were chasing after students and wrecking buildings as they pushed forward from the helicopters they were pouring out of. It took them less than a minute to notice the newcomers.

"Yah!" yelped Ron as a ninja with a sword nearly cut him in half. He dodged out of the way and resorted to his ages old technique of running his attacked around in random directions.

Yori was much more proficient and already had her fans out when the first ninja reached her. He was skilled and Yori struggled slightly but after a few moments it was clear she was the better ninja and dispatched him.

Hideyoshi and Keiko were younger and less trained, but they each had several years of brawling experience and were resorting to old habits as they punched their way past the attackers.

Eventually Ron reached a pile of burning rubble and pulled out a piece of wood shaped like a staff and held it at ready. The ninja didn't hesitate to attack but at least Ron knew how to defend himself.

The students fought the oncoming wave of ninja but Yori could easily see they would soon be overpowered. Who were these ninja and why had they come to Yamanouhci seeking destruction?

Another ninja suddenly appear out of a cloud of smoke. His outfit was similar to the attackers but lacked the silver tiger shape. He attacked the ninjas, positioning himself between them and the students and despite being outnumbers, easily subdued the attackers with his heavy sword.

He finally turned back to the students who were ready to fight him if necessary. Without ceremony he pulled off his head covering revealing his face.

"Y-Yuudai-sensei," said Yori. Hideyoshi and Keiko expressed similar surprise.

"Who are these people?" asked Ron as she looked at the defeated ninja.

"The Shade," said Yuudai, and Yori gasped.

"The exiles of Yamanouchi?" she asked.

"The same," nodded the teacher. He looked periodically behind him to make sure nobody was approaching. "They are backed by a greater power now, however, organized into a blade. Master Sensei and I have been monitoring their actions closely but didn't predict this attack." He looked away. "We should have."

"Someone has hired the Shade?" asked Yori. She suddenly realized why she'd been asked to do all that research on the group.

"Dominated them is more likely," said Yuudai-sensei. "Their numbers swell faster than we can keep track of and they are backed by a powerful, rich organization."

"What organization?" asked Ron, stepping forward. He was afraid to hear the answer.

"They call themselves SCHEME," he said.

Ron frowned. He had expected WEE, or maybe some variant of his and Kim's past villains but he'd never heard of this group before. "Who are they?"

"We still don't know," said Yuudai-sensei. "But it doesn't matter to you. You must flee, now."

"We can't abandon Yamanouchi," said Yori, firmly.

"A good warrior knows when to fight and when to run," said Yuudai. "We are outnumber, surprised, and concerned for our students. We must run today."

"But--"

"Listen to me, Yori-san," said Yuudai-sensei. "I want you to go with Stoppable-san back to America and _stay there_ until we call for you."

"America?" asked Yori. "Why?"

"It is safe there for you," he said. "Stoppable-san has many powerful friends there that will keep you safe until we are ready to take back Yamanouchi."

Yori frowned.

"We will take it back, Yori-san," insisted Yuudai-sensei. "But we need to better understand this threat and prepare. I'm sorry if you feel insulted, but this is something the instructors here will decide."

Yuudai looked up. "Hideyoshi-san. Keiko-san. Please return to Kyoto with Isamu. His family will give you the means to protect yourself. Someone from the school will check up with you shortly."

Hideyoshi frowned but reluctantly nodded.

"Yuudai-sensei," tried Yori again.

"Go," Yuudai simply said. "This is not the end for us, just our entry into a war."

Yori eventually agreed and turned to take Ron's arm. They scampered away back down the path with Hideyoshi and Keiko while Yuudai turned back towards the flames. This was his home as much as it was the students, and it enraged him beyond reason that it had been defiled.

He clutched his sword tightly in his hand and swore that this injustice would be righted.

They would take their home back. 

---------( **END EPISODE 1** )---------


	3. Episode 2: Recalling Taranis

There are some references in this chapter to events in my story The Family Value, which is also part of this universe. Reading it is recommended, though not required.

* * *

----------------

**Apocolocyntosis**

By Adam Leigh

Episode 2

"Recalling Taranis"

----------------

Dr. Richard Vedas stood outside the large bulkhead doors that protected the 'Operative Ring' of Global Justice headquarters from the interior 'Command Center'. He was dressed nicely -- he always dressed nicely, really -- with his long mane of hair pulled in a ponytail behind him and a simple suit without a tie. Seeing as he was coming to see people who ran around all day in two piece blue jumpsuits, he didn't feel the need to bring one.

But apparently he needed to bring a arc welder.

"Hey! I was invited, you know," he yelled to the doorway.

A speaker crackled slightly. "Sorry, Dr. Vedas, we need command approval to open the door now and we're just waiting for someone to arrive. I know you're welcome here."

"I thought this was a completely automated facility," said Rick, irritated.

"Not since the bombing it hasn't been," said the voice. Rick suddenly got the feeling he was in the Wizard of Oz.

"Six months and you still haven't rebuilt the Emerald City?" asked Rick.

"Emerald City?" asked the voice.

"Never mind," said Rick.

"Oh, here she is, just a moment."

Rick took a step back. He knew the doors slid to the side, but he wanted to be cautious in case they had changed that since his last visit. A loud horn sounded and the scraping of metal marked the glacial move of the doors to either side.

"Betty," said Rick as soon as there was a gap in the door big enough to lecture through. "I thought that we agreed that I wouldn't have to come down here anym--" he stopped. "Jennifer?"

"Hello, Dr. Vedas," said the long brown haired woman standing before him. She was dressed in a women's suit, also with no tie and had her long wavy hair falling behind her. Jennifer Cartwright was the Second-in-Command of Global Justice. Rick had met her a few months earlier at the conclusion of the Mantle of Tenoch debacle. She smiled courteously.

"Uh, call me Rick," said Rick.

Jennifer motioned to her side down the corridor. "This way, Richard." She turned and started walking. Rick stepped up beside her.

"I said call me Rick," he said wit a smile. "You said 'Richard.'"

"Very observant," nodded Jennifer. She still had on the same smile. Rick just shrugged.

"I didn't expect you to be here," said Rick.

"I guessed from the way you called me 'Betty,'" she replied.

"Well, sometimes I just call people Betty to see how they react," joked Rick.

"How do they react?" asked Jennifer.

"Just like you."

"I'm the only one, huh?" said Jennifer. They reached a security door and she entered in a passkey releasing the lock.

"Pretty much." Jennifer opened the door and Rick stepped through. "So," he started again. "You're here."

"We've established that already," nodded Jennifer.

"Yes, I know. But, why are you here?"

"I work for Global Justice."

Rick stopped and stared at Jennifer with disbelief. She turned and looked back. "You aren't going to drop this, are you?" she asked, finally losing the smile.

"You're the SIC," said Rick, throwing his arms in the air. "You're first in line for command of North American operations of GJ, which just about makes you and Betty the two most powerful agents in the world. I was told that you can't be in the same place as her unless there is an emergency." He hesitated. "There isn't an emergency, is there?"

Jennifer shook her head. "No."

"Then?" asked Rick.

Jennifer sighed. "I'm not the SIC anymore," she said plainly. Rick frowned but she continued. "It's a long story. And unfortunately..." she motioned to the frosted-glass double doors beside her. Written on the door was, simply: "Dr. Elizabeth Director, CIC".

Rick looked at the door and then at Jennifer. "I'm just going to ask her," he said.

"Then she can tell you." Jennifer opened the doors revealing the remarkably cluttered office for GJ. A very large desk was situated in the middle of the room behind which, (Rick believed) sat Betty, though she was somewhat obscured by towers of paper. A few pieces of other furniture were in the room as well, including three chairs and a familiar leather couch with some charring on it. A large glass window covered the back wall, behind Betty, which showed the GJ command room, still under construction.

"Bets," said Jennifer, motioning for Rick to enter. "Rick's here."

Rick sighed and looked flabbergasted. "_Now_ she calls me Rick."

"Thank you, Jennifer," said Betty, standing.

"Let me know when you're leaving so I can escort you out," said Jennifer to Rick. He frowned.

"You're not coming in?" asked Rick.

"I don't need to. I've already been briefed."

"Briefed on what?" asked Rick, but Jennifer just started to leave. "See you later Dr. Vedas."

Rick sighed again to the closed door.

"Sit down, Richard," said Betty. He sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk and leaned back a little. Betty had known Rick for nearly twenty years, she _never_ called him 'Rick.' He didn't even try anymore.

"What's going on with Jennifer?" asked Rick. "She said she's not SIC anymore."

Betty shook her head and flipped through a file on her desk. "Don't worry about it," she said.

"You trust her, don't you?" asked Rick.

"It has nothing to do with whether I trust her or not."

"Then what?" insisted Rick.

"It's political."

"Political?" Rick couldn't believe it. "Since when you do give even two seconds of your time to--"

"Dammit, Richard!" snapped Betty, closing her file hard. "This isn't what I asked you here to talk about." She breathed and looked up slowly at Rick. "You're not involved here anymore, you don't get to be a critic."

Rick nodded conciliatorily. "I'm sorry, you're right."

Betty pushed her files to the side and leaned on her desk, adopting a more casual pose. "It's the Shego thing."

"What is?" frowned Rick.

"Everything is," said Betty. "Jennifer let Shego go after the end of the WEE incident. It's come to blow up in her face."

"I was there," said Rick. "I realize that letting a criminal go is not standard procedure, but she had been fighting for us and she gave up Drakken. There was a strong chance GJ could have spun that relationship into something bigger. It was the right thing to do."

"Shego has over a dozen warrants for her arrest in eleven countries," said Betty, shaking her head.

"You don't answer to the governments of those countries," Rick pointed out.

"Yes, but some of those countries are where we have facilities."

"Facilities?"

"Agents, Richard," said Betty, forcefully. "We have people in those countries."

"So what?" Rick frowned. "Your bases are exceptionally well hidden. Most countries that you set up shop in know you're there but they have no idea where. What's the worst that could happen?"

"They could actually _look_ for us," said Betty. Rick blinked. "The governments of Spain, Denmark, Austria, Turkey, Jordian, Syria, the UAE, Egypt... they all know we're there, but they _like_ us, so they don't look." Betty sighed. "You remember the oversight committee?"

Rick nodded.

"Not every country we operate in is represented in that committee. They couldn't be, or we'd have to rent a concert hall to hold meetings in." Betty leaned back in her chair. "The other countries... we have an informal agreement with them. We help them out, they don't look for us. Trust me, if they _did_ look, we couldn't stay hidden."

Rick frowned but nodded. "I had no idea."

"I know," said Betty, smiling weakly. "Because you don't work here anymore. You haven't been here since the age of terrorism came upon us. It's a different world now."

Rick laughed quietly. "Trust me, if you knew how many people in history have said those exact words to justify--" he cut himself off. "I won't criticize."

"You could... if you came back," said Betty, quietly. She looked up at him. "I could reactivate your agent status. You and I could... I mean, we always worked well together."

"I'm not a company man," said Rick, sadly. "I have too many centuries of vigilante in my blood. You know I was always at odds with CIC Vernon back when we were agents. It would be the same between us, believe me."

"Vernon didn't appreciate your advice," said Betty.

Rick moved his chair forward and leaned on Betty's desk. "Do you know what the real curse of experience is?"

Betty raised a brow.

"The more I know, the less people want to hear what I have to say." Rick looked evenly at Betty. "Jennifer resigned her position, didn't she?"

"Yes," nodded Betty. "To keep me from having to ask her."

"Because the OLC would have forced you to, even though you know what she did was right at the time," said Rick. Betty nodded. "See?"

Betty laughed once. "I wish my life was as simple as yours," she said.

"No, you don't," smiled Rick.

"You're right." She nodded.

"So, you asked me here to ask me to come back to GJ?" said Rick.

"No, not really, that was just a bonus," laughed Betty. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Kim."

"Ah." Rick leaned back in his own chair. "The famous Miss Possible."

---------( KP )---------

The room was larger than she had remembered it, and it took a few minutes for her to realize that it was a different room entirely. There were several beds in this room, all with patients hooked up to elaborate devices and drip bags with the dull throb of machinery echoing through the room. These were people that time had forgot, stored almost like old merchandise in a strangely sterile room. They were even labeled, once on the end of the bed, and once on their wrists where small tabs of plastic noted their names and patient numbers.

There was only one person truly alive in the room, a red-headed girl sitting beside one of the beds, and she was sleeping. She lying against the bed with her head on her arm and an open book resting in her hand. It was strangely peaceful looking, or, conversely, horribly perverse. As if the pending death in the room had just reached out and snatched the life from the girl's body.

The patient in the bed the girl was sleeping beside was an old woman, probably in her seventies, with long wavy silver hair, bold black eyebrows, and a pale face that still retained a lot of beauty, even with the long drawn lines beside her eyes and around her mouth. Her figure was long and slim, with some provocative lines beneath the sheet despite her advanced age. She would be the epitome of health and beauty for a seventy five year old.

Except that she was not yet thirty.

Shego looked down at the body -- her body --- and tried to work up some emotion, any emotion at all, but failed. She wasn't sure if it was shock or just an inability to recognize the form before her as her own. Either way, she felt dreadful. She had wanted to return here for so long, but now... she felt a terrible desire to run away and flee back to that other world where she was young, confident, and a proud mother of two. But that wasn't an option. She couldn't go back, she didn't know how. There was only one place to go now: forward.

Shego raised her astral arm and hesitantly brought it towards the old woman on the bed but hesitated at the last minute. She looked down at the girl beside her. Kim Possible. What was she doing here? Stoppable had said her brothers had come, but there was no sign of it. No flowers, no cards, nothing but a stack of books on the bedside table and the unconscious form of her rival.

Had she expected more? Shego hadn't made many friends in her life. She'd be hard pressed to think of more than a couple. Maybe Drakken was her friend? He certainly seemed to treat her as such and... reluctantly, she'd done the same to him. Senior Senior Junior, perhaps? Angela Lipsky?

Reaching back farther, she thought about her time as part of Team Go. She used to think she had friends at VersaGene, but that turned out to be a lie. When she thought back to that time, the only person who ever honestly confided in her was Bella Negra, and she was a villain, her rival.

And yet, lying here next to her bed was another rival. The only sign that people even noticed she'd been gone.

Rather than depress herself further, Shego just closed her eyes and pushed her spectral hand into the old body before her.

---------( KP )---------

With a start, the world snapped like a whip and an incredible heaviness settled on her chest. Cool air cut her throat like a knife and she wanted to scream rather than breathe.

So she did.

"AAUG-kaoff! GAK!"

Or tried to. Her throat felt incredibly sore and dry and she reached up to hold her throat instinctively.

The girl beside her bolted upright and blinked quickly to clear the sleep from her eyes. "Wha-What? I wasn't sleeping!" she said strangely. The old woman ignored her, though, as she looked around through her own bleary eyes for something to drink.

The girl finally noticed the woman moving around and looked at her with wide eyes. "Sh-Shego?" she said, almost afraid of the word.

Shego ignored whoever was talking and squinted slightly as she peered about. Things got slightly clearer... but not entirely.

"Shego!" repeated the girl, who then stood and leaned over the bed. "Are you alright?" She sounded worried now. "Why are you holding your throat?"

Shego looked at the girl with an angry scowl. _Clearly_ she was thirsty. Wasn't this the universal sign for 'gimme a drink I might be choking?'

Strangely, the girl suddenly righted herself. "Hold on, I'll get you some water," she said. Then fled out the door.

Alone, Shego tried to orient herself but she was terribly confused. What had happened? Why did she feel so weak and lethargic? Was she suffering a concussion? Her vision was blurred, it could be a side effect of a concussion. Was that just Kim Possible beside her? This is probably all her fault.

A moment later, the girl came back in with a glass. Shego couldn't see clearly but saw a whip of her long red hair and felt safe in assuming she was Possible.

The glass was pushed into her hands and she raised to her lips, slurping it down vigorously.

"Slowly," said the girl who must be Kim. "Don't choke."

Shego ignored her and drained the glass completely. She never knew water could taste so good. It was exactly what she needed and the cool feeling down her throat was somewhat calming. She sighed as she handed the glass back to Kim.

The calming feeling didn't last long. "What the hell happened to me, Kimme?" she croaked. Some things danced in her memory, but they had yet to align properly for her to recall.

Kim sat down slowly and frowned at her. "You're in the hospital," she said.

"No kidding? I figured that part out already, genius!" snapped Shego. "Why am I in the hospital?"

"You were in a coma, Shego," said Kim. "Six months."

"A coma?!" said Shego, getting worked up. She tried to sit upright but felt too weak to do so, so she simply rose her voice. "How did I end up in a coma?"

Kim looked sadly at her. Shego couldn't see her expression clearly but could almost feel the sympathy. "You really don't remember?" she said.

Shego frowned but let herself stop and think. What was the last thing she remembered? There was... something about a ... tank? And... an explosion she caused.

"I blew myself up?" asked Shego, a little confused.

"What?" said Kim. Shego took it from her tone of voice that it wasn't right. But she did remember an explosion. And something else... someone with her?

"You put on the Mantle of Tenoch," said Kim, finally.

"The Mantle of..." started Shego, but she didn't finish because then she remembered. Everything flooded back into her brain at the mention of that cursed helmet. She remembered the horrible pain of being yanked from her body forcefully. She remembered being thrust into someone else's life in another world she didn't understand. Place after place after place she traveled, never sure how long she'd stay, never feeling comfortable or at ease. She remembered six worlds of tragedy she thought she'd die in. She remembered more worlds of misery and confusion and one world, when she thought she had found peace.

"Oh... my god," said Shego, bringing hands to her face and burying it in them. She felt two years of emotion flood her and she couldn't control it at all and it wracked her body in choking sobs.

"Shego?" said Kim, unsure of herself. "Are you okay?"

Just then the door opened and a doctor and several nurses barged in. They quickly went to Shego's side, pushing Kim away, and checked her equipment before examining her. After a few moments, Kim realized this could take a while and backed out of the room and into the hall.

---------( KP )---------

"Hey, Kim," said Monique as she met Kim for their first period class. She did a double-take at her compatriot. "Woah, you look more dazed than usual."

Kim blinked and then shook her head. "Sorry, didn't mean to faze out there. It's just that... well, Shego woke up yesterday."

"She did?" asked Monique, surprised. Then she paused. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I'm not sure yet," said Kim. "I'm glad she's awake, but I'm not sure if... well, what she's going to do now. I didn't get a chance to really talk to her after the doctors came barging in."

"Did she seem alright?" asked Monique. She had to admit, this was an odd conversation, asking about the health of someone who'd threatened her life more than a couple times. But Kim had been going to her hospital room almost every day for a while now to read to her, so she accepted that it was a paradigm shift for her.

"She was..." Kim trailed off. "I couldn't say."

"Well, hopefully you can talk to her today, right?" asked Monique.

"Yeah," nodded Kim. "I guess."

The door at the front of the room opened and Dr. Rick walked in quickly. He was late, again. His hair was tied up in a ponytail, which was a new look for him. The 'Dr. Rick Fan Crowd', as his admirers had come to be known, sighed in unison.

"Good morning, everyone," he said, putting his leather briefcase on the desk and pulling a rubber-banded stack of papers from it. "Today's an exciting day for everyone, I'm sure. Seeing as I finally graded all your midterms."

Even the fan crowd groaned.

"Aww, it's not that bad," smiled Rick, sympathetically. "Most of you passed by at least a few points." He pulled the rubber band off the stack and looked at the name on the top paper. "Kelly?" he called out.

Like suddenly stricken with a deadly disease, Kelly Roberts stood and walked solemnly forward to get her paper.

---------( KP )---------

Shego felt the weight on the bridge of her nose and wrinkled it experimentally. She looked up at the, now clear, face of her young doctor, a Dr. James Alvares. He was a tall slightly overweight man with a cute face and dark skin. She blinked.

"How bad is it?" asked Shego, ominously.

"They're only glasses," said Dr. Alvares, shaking his head with a smile. He wrote something on her chart.

"They're bottleneck glasses, aren't they?" she asked.

"You have a _slight_ stigmatism," said the doctor. "And you can get a new pair once we dismiss you. We don't base you diagnosis on style."

"Well you should," said Shego. "Look at this gown. Flower patterns? Honestly." She shook her head. "Even Kimmie has better fashion sense."

The doctor just ignored her, has he had quickly learned to do when she was spouting irritated words. He moved down the bed to look at her bandaged ankle, feeling it for swelling.

"Hey!" snapped Shego. "That hurt!"

"You're lucky this is all you hurt," said the doctor. "I know you're not used to it, but at your age you could have broken your hip with a fall like that."

"I can't believe this," said Shego, angry. "Is there any part of me that's not brittle as glass now?"

"Old age is fairly degenerative disease," said the doctor. "Although, you were spared the most of it. You were in pretty excellent health before... whatever it was that aged you, and consequently you're in pretty excellent health for a woman your age." He checked his chart. "Minimal muscle atrophy, even for spending six months in a coma, no sign of organ trouble, heart palpitations, osteoporosis, or even liver spots. Pretty good for an apparent age of near eighty."

"And an actual age of not yet _thirty_," reminded Shego. "So, if you're trying to get me to see the bright side of this, you're out of luck."

The doctor shrugged. "There's nothing we can do about that," he said. "You're going to have to get used to it."

"We'll see about that." Shego looked away, folding her arms.

"Just... don't try to climb out any more windows, please," said the doctors. "Our nurses don't need the trouble."

"Whatever."

Without another word the doctor slipped back out of the room, leaving Shego to her thoughts.

---------( KP )---------

The bell rang all too soon for Dr. Rick, who had only gotten partially through the lesson he had planned, but not soon enough for his students. "I guess we'll pick up here tomorrow then," he said, closing his book.

The class stood almost in unison as they packed their bags and started heading for the door. Dr. Rick saw a wrapped gift placed on his desk which he kindly put into his briefcase to be carefully disposed of later. It was cute the first few times when one of his admirers had sent him some trinket. It was less amusing when one of his admirer's boyfriends decided to leave a stink bomb. Ah, high school, mused Rick.

A mop of red hair caught his eye and he turned. "Ah, Kim, can you stay for a second."

Kim nodded and approached his desk as the rest of the students departed. "What is it, Dr. Rick?"

"Looks, it's... been a while since that whole thing with Gemini," started Rick, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "How are you holding up?"

Kim smiled. "I'm fine," she said. "You know that sort of stuff used to happen to me all the time."

"I got the impression that it hadn't," said Rick. "And I can't help but notice that you haven't been vanishing from class as much as Mr. Barkin says you typically do."

"I don't get that many calls anymore," said Kim. "Gives me more time to focus on my school work and college admissions."

"Still filling out applications?" asked Rick. It was the start of February, most students of her caliber would have heard about early admission already.

"Yeah," nodded Kim. "Every now and then my dad comes home with another one from a university one of his co-workers recommends. I've already gotten into several schools, actually, I just haven't decided which I'm going to pursue."

"Well, if I can put in a good word for Edwin Garris," started Rick.

Kim laughed. "It's in the running, as is Upperton University, in the same area."

"UU?" asked Rick. "Pursuing a medical degree?"

"It's my mom's alma mater," said Kim. "Hard to resist the pressure."

"I understand that," nodded Rick. He smiled but looked at her tenderly. "Kim, are you really okay?"

Kim nodded. "I'm really fine." She looked up at the clock on the wall. "I also really need to get to my next class."

"Go, then," said Rick, waving. "I won't keep you anymore."

Kim nodded then quickly left. Rick watched after her and then shook his head.

"Fine. Lie to me, then."

---------( KP )---------

A knock came at the door followed abruptly by the sound of it opening. Shego's hand lashed out and grabbed the top book on her table and flung it at the intruder. "For god's sake!" she swore. "I do NOT want to see another damn doctor!"

The figure at the door dodged barely out of the way and Shego squinted to see who it was. She didn't care for the dumb glasses and refused to wear them at every opportunity.

"Doctors of medicine or just doctors in general?" asked the figure with a woman's voice. A familiar woman's voice.

Shego swallowed her pride and put on the large, thick-rimmed glasses.

"Doctor Director," said Shego, looking at the woman in the blue jumpsuit. "I'd have to say, 'doctors in general,' then."

"Shame," said Dr. Director, closing the hospital room door behind her. "But of little concern to me."

"I imagined." Shego rolled her eyes. "Here to arrest me?"

"That's certainly an option," said Dr. Director. "It would make the oversight committee jump with joy, for sure. But that's not your only choice."

"Okay... I'm listening."

Dr. Director pulled over a chair and sat beside Shego's bed. "To be honest, we didn't expect you to recover, so the OLC is frantically trying to decide what to do with you, which puts me in a good position to make some persuasive suggestions regarding your future."

"What future?" asked Shego, looking down at her own body. "I probably have ten years, tops."

"Ten, possibly valuable, years," said Dr. Director. "We know that the purpose of the Mantle of Tenoch is to separate the spirit from the body. I'd be quite fascinated to know exactly where yours went."

Shego narrowed her eyes at the leader of Global Justice. "And what do I get in exchange for this information?"

"A very well designed room in our headquarters," said Dr. Director. "And all your needs taken care of for the remainder of your life."

"As long as I say inside my 'well designed room,' right?" asked Shego.

"Yes," replied Dr Director, plainly. "Let's not be fooling ourselves, you have outstanding warrants for your arrest and plenty of crimes to answer for. This is a significant reprieve from those charges."

"Seems like the same as doing jail time," said Shego, scornfully.

"If you truly believe that, you're free to visit Drakken's cell."

"You still have him?" Shego asked, confused. "He's not that useful, is he?"

"Not at all," said Dr. Director. "We actually have been holding onto him for a rather stupid reason."

"That being...?"

Dr. Director sighed. "None of countries arguing over him are willing to give up their right to execute him."

"Execute?" said Shego, shocked.

"Yes," nodded Dr. Director. "For he most part, his multiple attempts at world domination were seen as treason, which is an executable offense in many countries. Including the US." She looked to the side. "They're all squabbling over who has the 'most' right to take him to trial."

"Hah," laughed Shego. It was a morbid thought, but somewhat appropriate for her former employer. "So, do I have any other options?"

"I understand that there are nice jails in Singapore where you stole that industrial circuit board designing machine."

"Har, har," said Shego.

"There is another option, which I doubt will hold much interest for you," continued Dr. Director.

"What's that?"

"Become an agent of GJ," said Dr. Director.

Shego blinked. "A what?"

"Not a field agent, obviously, but a consultant, on matters of villainy."

"You should hear yourself. 'Matters of villainy.'" Shego scoffed.

"It's the only option that guarantees you some degree of unsupervised freedom," said Dr. Director. "But you'd be expected to deliver at regular intervals."

"How about the option where I don't take any of your deals and just walk on my own?" asked Shego.

"Going to be running from the cops with that sprained ankle of yours?" asked Dr. Director. "Think you can fend for yourself with no friends or contacts when you're no longer a world-class thief?"

"I could get by," said Shego, but she barely believed it.

"Then be my guest," said Dr. Director, standing. "We'll just grab you the moment you leave this hospital and put you in adjoining cells with Drakken. Cheapest solution for me, by far."

Shego grumbled.

"Listen," said Dr. Director, leaning forward. "I don't know what you went through during the last six months, and I don't know what it's like to suddenly lose 50 years of your life in a heartbeat, but I'm still trying to be sympathetic."

"Hah."

"I'm serious," Dr. Director insisted. "I'm not your friend, I'm your enemy. But I believe that justice has to consider all possibilities. In my eyes, there a possibility that everything you've just gone through has been punishment enough for the life you lead up until six months ago."

"Then let me _go_," pleaded Shego. She'd never pleaded for anything in her entire life but somehow she was ready for a change.

"Unfortunately, I have people I have to answer to," said Dr. Director. "People who don't have the same sensibilities as me. I have to balance my perspective with actions that they'll consider appropriate."

"This is crap," said Shego. "You run GJ, why don't you have the final say?"

Dr. Director smiled as she looked down. "It seems everyone thinks they know my job better than me, these days," she said softly. Then she looked up. "Please understand, I've considered every option."

"And this is it?" asked Shego. "Two forms of imprisonment: one blatant, one subtle."

"Those are your options."

Shego sighed and looked away. There was a window in her room, only partially obscured by a curtain. Beyond the glass, though, was her life up until now. Freedom. Flying free like the birds in the sky. Doing what she wanted and when she wanted to. Careless and carefree.

The glass in this room was shatterproof, though.

"Let me think about it," said Shego. "I'm not going anywhere for a little while now, thanks to my twisted ankle."

"Very well," nodded Dr. Director. She stood and replaced the chair from where she took it from. Then she turned back. "One other thing."

Shego looked back.

"I'm aware your rivalry with Kim Possible runs deep," Dr. Director said. "But while you were in your coma, she was here every day to keep you company, reading you books."

Shego's mouth hung open slightly. "Why?" she said in utter disbelief.

"You'll have to ask her that," said Dr. Director. "But -- and I may be wrong about this -- it seems as though if you need a friend now, she's reaching out to you."

"Friends?" scoffed Shego. "With Kim Possible?"

"There are many permutations in the universe," said Dr. Director with a smile.

Shego's eyes narrowed. "Where did you hear that?" she said sharply.

Dr. Director blinked. "It's ... just something a friend of mine says. Why?"

Shego looked away quickly. She'd heard those words before... on another world, far from here. Was it coincidence? There was a woman she'd met out there who insisted there was no such thing as coincidences. If that was true, then what did this mean?

Getting no response from Shego other than her turned head, Dr. Director simply turned and headed for the door.

---------( KP )---------

"Alright, girl, you're clearly exhibiting 'the drama,'" said Monique as she sat down beside Kim at lunch. She had received a mass of ... well, she was assured that it was 'food' but the jury was still out in Monique's opinion. Kim had gone with something from the salad bar, which was a new feature in the cafeteria and one greatly appreciated by surprisingly large vegetarian contingent at Middleton High. Apparently the 'food' typically served was enough to cause most staunch carnivores to reconsider their life choices.

"So not," insisted Kim, playing with the leaves of her salad. "And I wish everyone would stop insisting that I am."

"Girl," said Monique. "You've been quiet, mopey, and generally zoning out all day today, so, if you want people to stop asking, I'd suggest you try to be more subtle about it."

Kim sighed.

"See, that's not helping," pointed out Monique.

Kim grumbled and chomped down on her salad.

"Kim!"

Looking up, Kim saw that two people, a boy and a girl, had approached their table and swiftly sat themselves down.

"Join us, why don't you," said Monique dryly.

"Don't mind if we do," said the girl who Kim now recognized as Zita Flores, the Hispanic girl that Ron had been interested in for a while a few years back. She was typically a kind of stoic girl, who was heavy into computers, but not nearly as much as Wade.

The boy, Kim guessed, was Malcolm Needious, though he looked almost entirely different from when she last saw him, in the virtual world of Everlot. He'd apparently had a growth spurt and was now taller than Zita, with a skinny, lanky body that his broad mannerisms seemed to indicate he was still getting used to.

"Kim, we need your help," said Zita, somewhat urgently.

"Er, I'm not really the gamer-type," said Kim, awkwardly. "Rufus was the one who ended being good at Everlot and he's not really with me."

"What?" said Zita, confused. Then she shook her head. "Oh, no. Everlot is so two years ago, nowadays everyone's into WWO."

"Wild... World of... Orangutans?" suggested Monique.

"Withering Woods Online," said Malcolm. "But that's not why we're here."

"Okay, then what?" asked Kim.

"Well, it's a little odd," started Malcolm. "But, we were just talking the other day about the talent show back at the end of sophomore year. You remember, right?"

"Yeah, how can I forget?" Kim said drolly. Drakken had impersonated Wade and convinced her to commit crimes thinking they were 'hits' on her website. At least they were only ever perpetrated against villains. She had spent most of that week obsessed about beating Bonnie in the talent show, and, in the end, Ron ended up beating them both.

"Well, we were all impressed with your performance," said Zita. "And were wondering if you wouldn't mind singing again."

"Well, I like to sing," said Kim, uneasily. "In this year's talent show?"

"No," Malcolm shook his head. "In this year's spring play."

"..." said Kim. "Play? As in... the drama club?"

Zita nodded. "You were a great singer, and we need a strong, diverse senior to play the lead role."

"I don't know, I'm not much of a drama person," said Kim.

"I dunno, I think you've been pulling it off pretty well today," added Monique.

"Not helping," replied Kim.

"At least give it a try," said Zita. "Come to the club this afternoon and try out, it'll only take like five minutes."

"Since when are you in the drama club, anyway?" asked Kim.

"Actually, I'm a techie," said Zita. "The drama club's lights and sound equipment is all computerized, so I've been helping them out with it."

"Ah," said Kim. "Listen, I don't know if I'm really the right person for this."

"You're perfect," disagreed Zita. "Will you at least give it a try?"

Kim looked uneasily between the bright eyes of Zita and Malcolm, and the all-too-amused expression on Monique's face. "I..." she hesitated, "suppose."

"Great!" said Zita, and slapped Kim on the back. "We'll be in the auditorium at 3 pm."

"Thanks, Kim," said Malcolm, nodding, then departing with Zita.

"W-wait!" said Kim, standing suddenly. Zita and Malcolm turned, looking anxious. "What's the play?"

Zita breathed and smiled. "Phantom of the Opera."

Kim blinked. "Y-you want me to be Christine!?"

Zita nodded, then turned on her foot and headed out.

Kim fell back into her chair. "What did I get myself into?"

"I'd say you were rather forced," noted Monique, pushing her tray of... sludge away. "I wonder who the phantom will be."

"I hope it's not Malcolm," shivered Kim.

"He's not looking too bad these days though." Monique looked up. "Not in the... you know, attractive way, but at least less nebbish."

"I wonder if he and Zita are finally going out," wondered Kim. She'd really lost track of Zita in the last year and half of... well, her life. Between her crime fighting and dating Ron and Bueno Nacho, she just didn't have time to wonder about the people she used to see. She felt bad about it but was relieved they didn't hold a grudge against her. She guessed some people just naturally grow apart.

"Listen, this sounds odd," said Monique, awkwardly. "But would you mind if I shared your salad with you?"

Kim looked at Monique's empty tray, surprised. "Wow, you finished that already?"

"Actually, I think it crawled off on its own," Monique said, mortified.

"..." said Kim.

---------( KP )---------

Kim was heading between classes when Bonnie just seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

"I heard you're trying out for Christine," she said, smugly.

"Wow, that has to be a speed record for gossip," commented Kim, continuing to walk past her.

"So when are you coming back to cheerleading?"

Kim stopped.

Bonnie slowly came up to her from behind. "I get why you stopped," she said. "You said you needed to recover. I get that. You were..." she trailed off. "What happened to you isn't a easy thing to bounce back from. But it's been six months! You keep telling me you're 'recovering' but now you're trying out for other activities? What the hell is that about?" She was starting to yell.

"I was... forced into this, really," said Kim, turning her head slightly.

"Like you'd let anyone push you over," scoffed Bonnie.

Kim frowned. "Why do you care? You should revel in your victory," she spat angrily.

"You didn't lose to me," said Bonnie. "You lost to some jerk with a gun. I still want my fight."

"Well you're not going to get it," said Kim. "I'm not here to amuse you."

"I thought you loved cheerleading! You certainly took every opportunity you had to show me how damn good you are at it." Bonnie stormed around to stand face to face with Kim. "You play your little miss perfect act for years, and suddenly you're done? Because of what? A boo-boo?"

Kim angrily pushed herself right up into Bonnie's face. "You want to know how it feels?" she growled. "Huh? Then tell me how easy it is to brush off?"

Bonnie staged back a few steps and looked wide-eyed at Kim. "Did you just... threaten to shoot me?"

Kim's expression wavered, and after a second's wait, she brushed past Bonnie and continued towards her class, leaving the cheerleader staring after her.

---------( KP )---------

A flurry of information danced across a trio of glowing screens in the darkness. News reports, website blogs, surveillance across a hundred companies and museums, results from scans, tests, analytics, and simple posts to the Kim Possible website all appeared then disappeared in an instant as newer, more prevalent data arrived. It was an ocean of data, without arrangement.

The computers in this small bedroom had been build, destroyed, and built again to be the best at information gathering and processing so that every crime around the world could be watched and reported on, if necessary. It had all be done by a young, genius boy, intelligent beyond his years and driven by a simple desire to see the truth. This was his paradise, meticulously constructed with patience and determination to be perfect, awe inspiring, and without flaw.

But nobody was watching. The data was going unseen and unread. The great avatar of truth... absent.

A sound echoed through the dark cave as a spear of light carved a path from the door to the bed, leaving a yellow trail of highlight. A figure moved into the path of the light, almost glowing from the contrast between the cave and the hallway outside. It was the form of a woman, with dark skin and wavy hair, standing pensively at the door. She looked into the cave with sadness, noting the diligently humming machines with no operator, the cluttered piles of electronics, experimental technology, test fabrics and chemicals, and a wide arrangement of odds and ends with little meaning to the woman.

She walked in, hesitantly at first, then with more courage. Her frown grew deeper as she looked at the unkempt bed with star wars sheets. Her little boy was still a boy, no matter how intelligent he was. On the wall was a large poster for the movie 'Back to the Future II,' which contained an image of her boy's fictitious idol, Dr. Emmett Brown.

Torn clothes scattered the floor as well as hastily mended ones, constructed seemingly at random from the remains of the ripped ones. The woman looked confused at the debris but it was not any more irregular than the rest of the room.

Eventually, with a deep and saddened sigh, she walked over to the computers array, dug through the wires, and found the single power strip they were all connected to. It was nearly glowing with the amount of electricity it was channeling. She put her finger over the red switch. She felt like she was closing the book, giving up all hope. But that wasn't the case, she convinced herself. She would never give up, no matter how much time passed.

But something had to change. They had been caught in a holding pattern for so long, they needed something to spur them in a new direction, give them new places to search. So this is what she had decided. The cave would be uprooted, scavenged, and used, rather than protected like a mausoleum.

The answer as to where Wade Load had vanished was here. She just had to find it.

With a flick of her wrist, Mrs. Load shut off the power strip and with it went the careful searching and diligent humming of countless computers. In the ensuing silence, you could almost hear a teardrop.

---------( KP )---------

Zita sat patiently in the auditorium, well after three, waiting just in case she changed her mind. It was clear even five minutes after the hour that Kim was not going to show, but she waited patiently anyway. Everyone knew that Kim had a history of showing up places late due to her globetrotting activities. It was a good excuse, typically, but Zita knew that Kim hadn't taken a mission in many months and that if she hadn't shown at the start, she wasn't going to show at all.

"Zita," came a soft voice. She looked up to see Malcolm beside her. "She's not going to show."

"Yeah, I know," said Zita, as casually as she could sound. "I just was hoping."

"We don't want to come on too strong, but we should see if she forgot tomorrow," said Malcolm. Zita stared at him skeptically. "Okay, we know she didn't forget, but let's at least give her an out, huh?"

Zita smiled. "Of course." She looked down towards the front row. The drama teacher and his deputy showrunner were sitting there, going through notes. "Hey, guys," she called out. "Sorry for the wait, I guess I was wrong about the day."

Bill Henderson, the drama teacher, waved his hand conciliatorily. "It's okay, we're going through audition notes anyway."

"Thanks!" said Zita, then looked back to Malcolm. "Ah, well, we tried."

"Ahem!"

Zita and Malcolm turned to face the sudden interruption. A girl with long brown hair was standing in the aisle between the sections of chairs.

"Bonnie Rockwaller," said Malcolm, unable to hide the displeasure in his voice. "What do we owe the pleasure?"

"I heard that Kimmie was trying out for drama," said Bonnie.

"Uh, you must have heard wrong," said Zita, covering.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "Didn't show, did she?"

Zita looked hesitantly to the side.

"You want to get her involved? I've got a plan," said Bonnie, striding forward.

"Which is...?" said Zita.

"Put me in the play," said Bonnie.

"You can sing?" asked Malcolm.

"Can I sing?" scoffed Bonnie. "I'm very accomplished singer, first in my choir group and made regional's in middle school."

"So... you want to challenge Kim for Christine in hopes that your rivalry will get her involved?" asked Zita. "There's a bit of sense to it, it might just be an effective plan."

"What?" said Bonnie. "No, she's not ready to be challenged yet. Let me try out for Carlotta."

Zita blinked. "Ahh."

---------( KP )---------

Kim was actually standing IN the hospital when she realized what she was doing.

"Augh, god! She's awake," she said suddenly in the elevator, slapping her forehead and drawing some stares. She'd operated mostly on autopilot at the end of the day and it wasn't until now that her mind realized that Shego had come out of her coma last night.

There's no way she was going to put up with Bonnie this afternoon and then willing throw herself into the lions den with Shego's verbal abuse. She'd just stay in the elevator and take it back down again. She doubted Shego was expecting her anyway.

With a tone, the elevator stopped and opened and people started filing past her into the hall. Kim waited patiently as the last of the people left and then another person got on. The elevator was still going up, but Kim felt it was safer to stay where she was rather than risk waiting for a down elevator. The hospital wasn't tall, it wouldn't take much longer.

The doors closed and Kim sighed in relief.

After a couple moments, the doors opened again and the rest of the people filed out, leaving Kim alone again. She pressed the button for the ground floor and then casually leaned against the back wall.

Then someone walking past the elevator stopped and looked her.

"Oh, Kim," said the man who she now recognized as Dr. Alvares. He stepped towards the elevator, standing in the path of the doors. Kim slumped.

"Hi, Dr. Alvares," Kim said slowly.

"I'm glad you're here, I was worried you would have gone to Shego's old room on the 4th floor without checking at the desk," he said, stepping aside so Kim could get out of the elevator. Reluctantly, she did.

"Uh, yeah," said Kim, nodding. How was she going to get out of this now?

"She's in room 512 now," said Dr. Alvares. "We moved her out of long-term care into recovery since she seems to be in good health."

"Great," said Kim. She looked around wildly as she walked, trying to come up with a good excuse.

"If you don't mind me saying so," said Dr. Alvares, a little quieter. "I think she could definitely use your company right now."

Kim looked up at the doctor. "What?"

"Well, she's clearly angry," said the doctor. "But I think it's more because she's confused. Her life has drastically changed and she need someone to be there from before to comfort her and get her through this period."

"Clearly you have an incomplete understanding of our relationship," said Kim, dryly. "I don't provide any comfort for her."

"She provides comfort for you, though."

"Not at all," Kim said plainly.

"Then why are you here?"

Kim hesitated. She didn't want to say she came by accident, it sounded so shallow to just pick up and abandon someone who had been comatose for so long just because they woke up.

Then again, why had she come so frequently while Shego was asleep, anyway?

"Right," said Dr. Alvares, nodding at the silence. "Well, whatever the case may be between the two of you, I think it might have a positive effect on both of you to at least try to get along."

"We'll see," grumbled Kim.

"And please convince her to see a therapist," said the doctor. "There's no way she's equipped to handle the emotional stress of losing 50 years of her life in a heartbeat."

"Oh that'll go over real well," Kim rolled her eyes.

"It's gone well for you, right?" asked Dr. Alvares.

Kim said nothing.

"Here we are," he motioned to the door and stopped.

"You're not coming in?"

"Ah, no," he shook his head. "Shego has been throwing things at me every time I visit and it's starting to get expensive replacing the glass in the door window."

Kim just shook her head and, with a sigh, opened the door to the room.

Just in time to see a hardcover book fly at her. She quickly raised her hand and caught it, inches from her face. Growling she threw the book aside and scowled.

"Shego!" yelled Kim, storming in.

"Kimmie?" said Shego from the bed, startled. "I thought you were one of those doctors."

"Clearly, I'm not," said Kim. "And I don't understand what Dr. Alvares has done that is so terrible."

"He thinks I'm _crazy_," said Shego, emphasizing the last word heavily. "Thinks I need to see a shrink."

"He doesn't think you're crazy," said Kim, rolling her eyes. "He wants to make sure you're coping with... what happened to you."

"What happened to me was I got royally screwed," said Shego. "I don't need therapy to deal with that."

Kim frowned. "Yes, you do," said Kim, coming closer to the bed. "Because who are you going to get revenge on?"

"Well, I'd just--" started Shego, but then she stopped. "I mean... Clearly... We were..." She looked confused and then looked away. "I don't need revenge."

Kim sighed and sat down.

"What the hell are you doing here anyway?" asked Shego, turning back.

"I'm really not sure," said Kim. "I should probably go."

"You really should," said Shego.

Kim sat there staring forward and Shego looked away saying nothing.

"What happened to your foot?" asked Kim, after several minutes of silence.

"I twisted it trying climb out a window," said Shego.

Kim looked back at her. "What were you doing climbing out a window?"

"Trying to get out of this damn place!"

"Did you try a door?" asked Kim.

"They're still holding me for monitoring," said Shego. "In case I have a relapse of the 'magical coma.'" Shego looked up. "I doubt GJ would let me leave now anyway."

"GJ?" asked Kim. "They're arresting you?"

"Looks like," said Shego. "And I don't have my powers or any degree of my agility to get away from them."

"Shego? Giving up?" mocked Kim. "That doesn't sound right."

"Are you trying to encourage me to run away from GJ?" asked Shego.

"I'm..." Kim fell silent. "Never mind."

More silence.

"Aha! I figured it out," said Shego.

"What?"

"I'll blame Stoppable for taking so long in finding me," said Shego. "I can get revenge on him."

"Ron?" asked Kim, with a slightly haunted look on her face. "What does he have to do with this?"

"Whattya mean?" asked Shego. "You sent him to find me but it took him forever!"

"I never... sent him," said Kim, turning this information over in her head. "Wait, what do you mean 'find'? You were here the entire time. Trust me, I know."

"Yes, that's creepy and wrong, by the way."

"Thanks," said Kim, dryly.

"So, you don't know what happened to me after I put on the helmet?" asked Shego.

"Yes, I do, you started having seizures and fell into a coma for six months," said Kim.

"No, I didn't," said Shego, annoyed. "Did Stoppable not tell you anything?"

"Ron--" Kim hesitated and felt stupid for still being sensitive about this. "I haven't seen him in... a long time."

"Where the hell did he go?" asked Shego.

"Japan," she said quietly. "Yamanouchi."

"Yama-who?"

"It's a... secret school somewhere out there." Kim sighed. "He asked me not to look for him."

"Hah!" laughed Shego. "And you actually listened to him?"

"Shut up!" yelled Kim. "He left me! Why would I chase him across the world?"

"Oh, so it was more sensible to sit here beside ME for six months instead?" said Shego.

"You have got to be the most ungrateful person I know," said Kim. "Could you, possibly, be any more of a jerk to people trying to help you?"

"I don't want anyone's _help_!" yelled Shego. "I don't want your _help_. I don't want your _comfort_. AND I SURE AS HELL DON'T WANT YOUR DAMN PITY!" Shego sat up in her bed and waved her finger in Kim's angry face. "You come in here with that _fucking_ face of yours all full of pity and sadness for me because, oh BOO-HOO, I got screwed by my own damn greed. I don't want that from anyone, least of all _YOU_!"

"Fine!" screamed Kim, standing. "You have a great time dealing with this on your own, then!"

"Why wouldn't I?" yelled Shego back as Kim turned towards the door. "I've gotten on fine my _whole life_ by myself! I don't need anyone now!"

Kim flew out the door and slammed it behind her. Shego grabbed the last book on her table and threw it at the door, cracking the glass again. She was breathing deeply from her rage and felt suddenly exhausted. Her whole jaw hurt from the way she was gritting her teeth and her body shook from anger. Suddenly her head felt heavy and her vision swam.

Without a chance to steady herself she toppled back onto the bed, unconscious.

---------( KP )---------

That night, Kim sat silently at the dinner table, poking randomly at her food. Her parents and brothers talked about random things that she didn't really care to listen to. She figured it went along the lines of her brothers describing their carnage as if it was a good thing, her mother chiding them for causing such carnage in the house, and her father occasionally bringing up some of space center's new fleet of deep space probes.

There was a suddenly silence in the room, though, and Kim looked up to see her family looking at her.

"What?" asked Kim.

"Are you trying out for the spring play, dear?" asked her mother.

"Wha? How did you hear that?" asked Kim.

Her mother pointed at the tweebs, who grinned.

"Are you serious? You get high school gossip in the middle school?" said Kim.

"So it's true then," said Jim.

Kim sighed. "I didn't try out, I said I would but I didn't."

Mrs. Dr. Possible frowned. "You broke a promise?"

"It wasn't a promise," said Kim, grumbling. "I was forced into it and... I just didn't feel in the mood to sing today. I'll talk to them about it tomorrow."

"It's not good to leave people in a lurch, Kimmiecub," said her father. He was apparently eating, working on his tablet PC, and chiding her at the same time. She would have boggled if she hadn't been focused on the last of the three.

"I know!" said Kim, emphatically. "I'll apologize." She ate her broccoli enthusiastically, hoping to avoid further inquiry.

"You also missed your appointment with Dr. Talstead," said her mother.

Kim slowly closed her eyes in defeat. That one she'd completely forgotten about and had not intended to miss, despite her own reservations for the whole process. "I'll call her tomorrow," said Kim, looking up again.

Mrs. Possible stopped eating her food and leaned a little closer to her daughter. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" she said. "It seems like you're upset about something."

Kim shook her head. She didn't want to go into this with her. "I'm alright," she said. "Just a little tired. I think I'll do my homework and hit the sack early tonight." She stood and picked up her plate.

Her family watched quietly as she headed out of the room into the kitchen.

---------( KP )---------

It was nearly midnight when Shego woke again. She felt terrible but at least nothing was hurting. She was staring to wonder if an old person's body just ached randomly all the time of if it was because she'd been bedridden for months.

She reached around for the nurse call button and eventually managed to find it and press it. A few minutes later a woman in a light blue shirt came in.

"How are you feeling?" asked the nurse. Shego didn't recognize her and, without her glasses, she couldn't read the name on her ID tag.

"Like my head weighs a hundred pounds on its own," said Shego, groggily. "What happened?"

"You had a hypoglycemic reaction," said the nurse who poured a cup of water from the attendant station and carried it over to her.

"I'm not diabetic," said Shego as she took the cup and sipped from it.

"No, you're not, you had an exaggerated reaction to your lunch," said the nurse. "You'll be fine. Your blood sugar is back to normal now."

"Why did it happen then?"

"Your body is not used to itself," said the nurse sympathetically. "And instances of reactive hypoglycemia increase with age."

"Great," muttered Shego, sighing.

"I'm familiar with your case," said the nurse, coming to sit by her bed. "You should know that at your apparent age, regular checkups should become part of your life. Especially since you are displaying some problems associated with old age."

"That's not my style," said Shego. "Preventive medicine."

"Your record shows the presence of the meningitis antibody," pointed out the nurse. "You must have thought the vaccine was worth taking."

"I'm not taking risks with my brain, thank you very much," said Shego.

"Well, your whole body needs that sort of attention now."

Shego grumbled.

"It's not a bad thing to be careful."

"Just, leave please," said Shego, turning her head.

The nurse nodded. "Get some rest," she said.

"Yeah, right," said Shego. "I'm not exactly eager to fall back into a coma."

The nurse frowned. "You're quite healthy now, you shouldn't be afraid of returning to a comatose state."

"When you've been subject to as much supernatural things as I have, then come back and tell me what to be cautious about," snapped Shego, still facing away.

The nurse nodded slowly. "Whatever forces are at play, either you let things happen to you, or you make them happen for you." She looked down for a moment, then turned and left.

Shego stared at the dark window and the tiny specks of light beyond. The stars were vast, huge bodies, some thousands of times larger than the earth, but that didn't matter from here, because their distance had reduced them to tiny, almost unnoticeable specks of light.

Shivering, Shego wished she'd never even laid eyes on the Mantle of Tenoch, and definitely had never put it on. She wished she never met Angela Lipsky, who gotten her mixed up in the search for Drakken. She certainly wished Kim Possible hadn't even come near her with that that look in her eyes.

But most of all she wished Carey and Juny were here.

---------( KP )---------

In the dark, on the rooftop of the Middleton Exchange, two figures moved with such fluidity and grace it was almost impossible to believe their moves hadn't been choreographed and practiced a hundred times. But they had practiced at all because they were not partners. They were enemies, and they were fighting.

The larger of the two, by only a hair, was stockier, muscular, and covered in a black Lycra leaving only a narrow hole showing his bold, dark eyes. He was equipped with a lot of equipment tucked away in slim pouches pulled tight against his body with small exposed claws arcing away from his fingertips menacingly.

The smaller one was clearly a woman, her own skin tight catsuit showing off her curves whenever enough light shown on her to highlight them. She was comparatively less equipped, with only a black slung bag and a coil of rope with a hook hanging from her hip and exposed hands showing thin delicate pale fingers. Her face was mostly exposed, her head covered by a black hood with her long hair spilling from a small cut in the back.

Their fight was largely acrobatic as each was able to predict the other's moves far enough in advance to avoid getting struck. As it was, only a slight tear in the side of the woman's outfit would be any sign that their battle was intended to be a deadly one.

Minutes stretched long and eventually, almost simultaneously, both combatants stopped and stood on opposite sides of the building rooftop, breathing heavily and staring at each other.

"You're good," said the woman, almost purring.

The man said nothing, but narrowed his eyes.

"Quiet type, I see," said the woman. "I like that." She stood straighter, slightly lowering her guard even though her eyes were as alert as ever. "Are you the one? The 'Black Shadow' I've been hearing about?"

The man continued to stand at ready and continued to say nothing.

"I don't know what brings you to Middleton, but I think you are," said the woman. "Which is exciting for me. Meeting such a new hero in the flesh... so to speak."

She looked him up and down with roaming eyes. "I see you know to dress, as well."

"Well, you're not slouch, I'll give you that," the woman looked between the rooftops around them. "I'll let you have this one." She quickly grabbed the rope on her hip and threw it up to a nearby building, hooking a ledge on the roof, and swinging away.

The man suddenly pulled out a black, L-shaped device from a pouch and held it like a gun towards the fleeing woman. Pulling the trigger, it launched out a grapple which, instead of hooking onto a building, struck the back of the black-wearing woman and wrapped around her leg. Caught off guard, the woman lost grip of her own grapple and began to fall. The rope around her leg tightened and pulled her down past the edge of the Exchange and began swinging her back towards the building.

In a panic, she pulled a long bladed knife from a shoulder holster and cut through the rope, allowing her to twist in the air and rappel down from the building at an angle to the street. She landed with a hard thumb, but ignored her aching legs as she scrambled away into the alley.

On top of the building, the man reached the edge of the roof and pulled up his rope. Looking at the empty end of the woven cord, he frowned, then looked down into the alley. The woman was gone.

"I'll have to use titanium filament wire next time," he said, then turned, cocked his head to the side, and leapt away.

---------( KP )---------

The next day, Kim's English teacher had apparently called in sick so the class had gotten a free study period, which was nice since it butted right up against her lunch period, which meant a full hour and a half of no thinking.

It was _not_ nice, however, because Bonnie was in her English class.

"So, Miss Perfect," said Bonnie, sauntering over to her desk.

"Not. In. The. Mood," enunciated Kim.

"I heard you missed your auditions yesterday," she continued on.

"I had something come up, I've already talked to the drama club and rescheduled for today." Kim leaned back in her chair. "Not that I really think it's a great match for--"

"I decided to try out in your place."

Kim blinked. "You what?"

"Well, I thought as long as you were going to change the playing field, I would too," said Bonnie, motioning with hand.

Kim frowned. "Funny, Zita didn't say anything about that."

"I told her not to," said Bonnie. "I wanted to save the expression for myself."

"Well, whatever," said Kim. "I didn't really care for this anyway." She turned back to her notebook which she was diligently making doodles in.

"You're not going to abandon your second audition, are you?" asked Bonnie.

"Why do you care?" asked Kim. "You win and everything's fine in the world, right?" Her voice was filled with sarcasm.

"I can't win if you don't fight," pointed out Bonnie.

"Fine, I'll try out and then you can get the part," said Kim. "Now leave me alone, please?"

Bonnie smiled menacingly but said nothing as she turned away and headed back to her desk.

---------( KP )---------

Lunch wasn't much better.

"Girl, we really need to talk," said Monique.

"Oh my god," said Kim, exasperated. "Seriously, I'm handling it."

"You're acting... well, not yourself."

"I know, I know, _everyone_ has told me their opinion by now," said Kim. She pushed her salad around her plate. "I'm just a little off right now, I'm handling it."

"How are you handling it if you're not confiding in anyone?" asked Monique. "We're your friends, Kim, you can trust us with your problems. We'll help you work through them."

"I'm seriously fine," insisted Kim, growing impatient. "So I lost my temper with Bonnie. She's always known how to push my buttons anyway. I blew off the audition because I didn't want to perform while angry. And I just plain forgot my therapy session. Does that explain everything sufficiently for you?"

"Therapy session?" asked Monique.

Kim's jaw went slack for a moment.

"You're seeing a-MMMFFF!" Kim's hand closed over Monique's mouth like lighting and she suddenly stood up and started pulling her out of the cafeteria.

They were halfway down the hallway when Monique finally got tired of being dragged and threw off Kim's grip. "What the hell, Kim?" she yelled.

"Shh!" quieted Kim. She moved closer to Monique. "Please, don't... don't tell anyone what you just heard."

"You're seeing a therapist?" asked Monique.

"SHHH!" said Kim, louder. She sighed and nodded slowly. "It's a trauma specialist. My doctor insisted after I got out of the hospital to see one. It's stupid, but I have to see her or I'll end up with more people bothering me." Kim looked back and forth down the hall. "It's almost over, just one or two more meetings."

"Why didn't you tell me?" said Monique, feeling betrayed. "I'm your friend!"

"I just... didn't want anyone to know," said Kim, looking away. "I just want it to be over and not talked about."

"Kim," Monique said hesitantly. "Are you... taking them seriously? These meetings with your doctor?"

"I'm fine," said Kim, assuredly. "No PTSD. I mean, come on, as if getting shot was the worst thing to ever happen to me. I've come this close to seeing the world get destroyed or dominated dozens of times now. This was... it was..." she frowned as she struggled for the word. Eventually she looked up. "No big," she said with a smile.

Monique frowned. "Okay," she said. But she wasn't okay with it at all.

---------( KP )---------

Dr. Alvares had come prepared this time. He had borrowed his sun's catchers mitt and faceguard but had left behind the chest protector. He hoped it hadn't been a bad idea, but Shego had always gone for the face before.

As he headed towards the room he got a couple odd stares from the patients but most of the attendants knew why he was equipped this way and nodded knowing, silently wishing him good luck.

Eventually he reached the door. It was still boarded up slightly while they waited for replacement shatterproof glass so he couldn't see inside. Hopefully that meant she couldn't see outside either and would be prepared. She was cunning, he knew that, but she was his patient, and his duty took precedence over his fear.

With a quick motion of his arm, he swung open the door and held up his mitt in defense. After several seconds he wondered what had happened and slowly lowered it. He was staring into an empty room. Blinking, he took a step back and looked at the room number to make sure he was in the right place. He was.

"Nurse," he said to a passing attendant. "Where is Shego?"

The man blinked and leaned to look past the doctor. "She's supposed to be in there," he said. "I'll check to see if anyone called her for tests."

"I'm her doctor," insisted Dr. Alvares. "I'm the only one who should be calling her down for tests."

The nurse's eyes went wide. "I'll call security," he said and dashed off.

"Hey!" the voice of a young man suddenly called out from further down the hall. Dr. Alvares turned to see. "Someone took my crutches!" said the man.

The doctor sighed and pulled off his faceguard.

---------( KP )---------

Celeste Beaumont sat impatiently in the clinic, idling looking around the largely uninteresting examination room. There were a few cabinets -- locked -- as well as a sink, some random examination tools like tongue depressors and cotton swabs, and a glowing panel on the wall for examining x-rays. Nothing interesting, nothing fancy, nothing really valuable.

She sighed and leaned back on the table. She felt stupid. Like an amateur. She'd been in the business for close to ten years now and she let herself get taken down by some masked man without a tongue. She'd heard stories about the 'Black Shadow' but hadn't really paid them much mind, as they were mostly third or fourth-hand stories from New York, Boston, or Philadelphia. Never did she suspect running into him all the way west as Middleton, nor did she think she'd nearly get killed from a stupid grappling gun.

"Arrgh!" she growled to herself in frustration. Looking down at her bandaged leg, she cursed the stupid silent vigilante to hell.

The door suddenly opened and the doctor attending her returned. He was a good looking man, probably only a couple years older than herself, with short dark hair and somewhat tanned skin. He smiled as if it was a matter of course, which slightly bothered Celeste. It made him appear disingenuous in her eyes, which was a poor trait for a doctor to have.

"Well, the x-rays came back and thankfully we're not looking at a fracture," said Doctor Carson. "So I'd just recommend keeping off the leg as much as possible, wear the brace, and the ligament damage will heal in a few weeks time."

Celeste nodded. "Okay," she said.

"Try to avoid exercising so hard in the future," said the doctor who paused to look at her once. "If you don't mind me saying so, you're in excellent shape. Don't worry so much about improving your performance. Stick to maintenance exercises."

Celeste raised an eyebrow at the doctor.

"At least for the next few weeks," he added, sheepishly.

"Thank you," she said, getting up off the table. She felt the weakness in her knee and braced herself against the edge of the table for stability. Flexing the leg slightly she tried to walk again and successfully managed to keep upright. She moved past the doctor and into the hall.

The doctor followed closely behind with her file. "Please schedule an appointment to come back in two weeks," he said as they reached the front counter. He handed Celeste's file to the desk attendant. "Have a good afternoon, Ms. Beaumont."

"You too," said Celeste, conciliatorily. She turned her attention to the desk attendant and handled her bill before only slightly struggling her way out of the clinic.

As she waited for a taxi by the street, she heard what must have been the largest squirrel rustling in the bushes by the main entrance to the hospital. Based on how much the bush was shaking, she figured there must have been a whole army of the critters in there and she idly wondered if she should take a look, thinking she might catch a glimpse of some sort of squirrel orgy or something. Then her taxi arrived and she forgot the thought entirely.

As her taxi departed the hospital, the rustling the bushes finally ceased as an old woman with long gray hair came crawling out on her hands and knees. She struggled to get back up on her feet and waved down another taxi.

After she got into the taxi she leaned forward on the headrest. "Follow that taxi," the woman said, pointing at Celeste's departing yellow cab.

---------( KP )---------

Kim's cell phone rang just before the end of the day.

"Kim, this is Dr. Alvares," said the voice on the phone.

"Dr... Alvares?" repeated Kim, astonished. "What... er, what can I do for you?"

"We've run into a little trouble with Shego and I was wondering if I could convince you to help," he said, strangely casually.

Kim winced slightly. "I'm kinda busy..."

"She's gone," he said flatly.

"Gone?"

"She left, probably about an hour ago," said the doctor. "She stole some crutches and walked right out the front door with a departing family. Security didn't even notice, unfortunately."

Kim sighed.

"I know you said you're not that close to her yesterday," said the doctor, pleading. "But you know her better than any of us. Could you help find her for us? I'm concerned she's going to accidentally hurt herself thinking she's still in her twenties."

Kim closed her eyes. "All right, I'll look for her."

"Thank you," said Dr. Alvares enthusiastically on the phone.

Kim hung up.

"Well, Miss Possible," Mr. Barkin said, suddenly standing beside her. Kim yelped in response. "If we're all through with our private calls, can we get back to learning?"

Kim blushed. "Yes, Mr. Barkin," she said, tucking her cell phone away again.

---------( KP )---------

Celeste collapsed on her hotel bed as soon as she reached it. Her leg was aching and even the mild painkillers the clinic gave her were doing very little. She rubbed her sore knee through the brace as she rolled around on the queen sized bed.

She'd just about decided that she'd rather cut off her leg rather than go through two weeks of this pain when the phone rang. She sighed heavily. It was probably her office, wondering why she hadn't logged onto her computer today. Stupid 'virtual office.' One couldn't even dodge work when away from their employer anymore.

She rolled over towards the nightstand and picked up the phone. It was the concierge. "Excuse me, Ms. Beaumont," said the woman. "There's a woman in the lobby here looking for you."

"Okay," said Celeste. That was a new one. She was supposed to be the only consultant in Middleton on this project. She wondered if she'd pissed her office off enough that they'd actually fly someone down to get her. "Did she say who she was?"

"No, she just said she was from GeneNominal."

Celeste's eyes went wide and she immediately hung up the phone. Her head snapped towards her bag and she rushed over to it, flinging it open and revealing her catsuit. She reached into the bag and pulled out her rope and her knife, throwing the former over her head and the latter into her pocket. There was no way someone from GeneNominal showing up was a _good_ thing. She had to get out of here.

Closing the bag and slinging it over her shoulder, she ran out of her room and headed for the stairs. Her leg would hate her later but she'd have to leave via the roof if someone from that damn company was downstairs. They'd probably have the whole first floor monitored.

Running up the stairs, her knee shot pains up her leg with each step. Just a little further, she thought as she headed past the twentieth floor. Each floor seemed a hundred times worse than the one before it until she reached the roof after floor twenty-five.

She slammed her shoulder into the rooftop door to open it and ran out, tossing her rope on the floor as she quickly tied her grapple to it.

Then she heard the sound. It was like a faint shuffle on concrete. It came from the direction of the stairs. Slowly Celeste reached for her knife then in a snap turned and flung it at the sound. With a sharp pang it embedded itself into the wall that the door to the staircase was on, only inches from the corner where she could see a dark figure standing in the shadow. She'd missed!

Her hand dove into her bag searching for another knife.

"Bella Negra," said the figure, and Celeste froze. The voice sounded old, and hoarse. "I guess this means you're not too comfy with the Architect anymore."

The figure stepped into the light and Celeste saw she was indeed an old woman, probably well over the hill, with long gray hair pulled into a ponytail. She was dressed in a simple white shirt with black slacks that were hastily cuffed at the ends and an oversized black jacket hanging from her shoulders. Despite her impressively calm demeanor, she appeared rather disheveled.

"I'm through with you guys," said Celeste as her hand continued to subtly search for another knife in her bag. "I told you that years ago. I don't like playing your dumb ass games with your superfriends!"

The woman laughed briefly. "I'm not with GeneNominal," she said. "And they're not really here either, I just had the concierge send you that message to see if you ran towards them or away from them." She looked down at Celeste's rope. "If you'd gone to them, we'd have nothing to talk about."

"Who the hell are you?" snapped Celeste as he her hand finally found another knife and she tightened her fingers around it.

"An old friend," said the woman. "Although not nearly as old as I appear."

"Stop playing games with me," said Celeste. She was clearly at the disadvantage, severely, and she needed to find a way to turn this around or she'd be in trouble. Her eyes scanned the rooftops, whichever one would be easiest was best. She doubted this old hag could follow her anywhere.

"Fine," said the woman moving slowly towards Celeste. "We used to be rivals, in a way, back in Go city about seven years ago. I was one of the 'superfriends,' as you called them, but I've since learned the errors of my ways."

Celeste suddenly felt echoes of familiarity with this woman, but it was patently impossible. "You're too old to be her," she said.

"There are many permutations in the universe," said the woman, grinning at some unknown joke. "I've had fifty years of my life stolen from me by some stupid magic, but I'm still the same girl you knew."

No. There was absolutely no way it could be her. "Shego?"

The woman nodded.

"Impossible," concluded Celeste.

"Get over it," said Shego, putting a hand to her hip. "I _wish _it was impossible, but evidently, it isn't."

"How did you find me?"

Shego, or at least the old woman that was claiming to be Shego, raised her arm and pulled on her jacket sleeve revealing a simple plastic tag around her wrist. "I was in the same hospital as you were this morning," she said. "In, believe me, the biggest coincidence of my life. I followed you here from there."

Shego stood there, holding out her wrist. Celeste had to know, it was too weird to just let it pass. She stepped forward, keeping her knife ready, and looked at the medical tag. It read, in the name field, 'Shego.'

Celeste jumped back, startled. Was it really her? "Magic?" asked Celeste. Suddenly a whole wealth of possibilities flew through her head, none of them things that would help her sleep through the night. If it was possible to steal five decades of life from someone as energetic as Shego, anything was possible.

"Yeah," Shego said, finally lowering her arm. "I hate the stuff. It doesn't make sense... not that any of the crazy technology Drakken ever made was perfectly sane to begin with. But, you know, at least I can accept technological miracles." She stepped back slightly and leaned against the wall. "Hell, I'm practically one of them."

Something finally locked into place in Celeste's mind after years of growing cobwebs. "VersaGene made you?" she asked.

"Yup," said Shego. "Yeah, that crap about meteors was just PR spun by Quincy."

Celeste marveled at the completely unexpected revelations but her mind snagged on something and she steadied her grip on the knife. "This is all fascinating, but what do you want with me? It's not like we've ever even seen each other since you left Team Go."

Shego had a somewhat lost expression on her face. "I need your help."

"My help?" asked Celeste. This was far off in the realm of 'never believed would ever happen.'

"Believe it or not," said Shego. "You're the only person who's ever been completely honest with me."

Celeste blinked.

"I've got some people looking for me," Shego continued. "I need to vanish for a while to regroup. When I saw you at the clinic... I thought you might help me."

"Sorry, but, why?" asked Celeste. "Like I said, this is the friendliest conversation we've ever had and I've still got my hand on my knife."

"'Cause we're not that different," said Shego. "We're both thieves, we think similarly. Much of my skills I cut while chasing you, years back. You're running from GeneNominal and I'm running from ... someone else."

"That doesn't mean we'd be good friends," said Celeste.

"Also, I don't know how successful your work has been for you," said Shego. "But as soon as I find a way to reconnect with my Swiss accounts, I can certainly make this a lucrative venture."

Celeste tried to resist the sounds of cash registers ringing in her mind. She failed. "Well, at least that's the first compelling argument I've heard from you yet."

Shego smiled.

---------( KP )---------

"Zita!" called Kim as she caught up with her after the last bell.

"Hey, Kim," she said, slowing her pace. "You ready to audition?"

"Actually," said Kim putting her head to the back of her head. "I'm not."

Zita stopped and turned toward Kim. "What now?"

"I'm not backing out, I just had something come up at the last minute," Kim said. "Somebody's missing and I need to help find her."

"Someone is missing?" asked Zita. "Kidnapped?"

"No, she ran away," said Kim. "She's really a pain in the ass, but she could get in trouble if she's on her own, so..." she trailed off. "Man, even I don't believe that."

"Uh-huh," said Zita, nonplussed.

"Really, I do have to find her," said Kim. "I _will_ audition, I promise."

"Well, lets not delay too much longer," said Zita. "Final parts get posted next week."

"This won't take a week," assured Kim.

"Are you sure you don't have like, five minutes to sing a few notes?" asked Zita.

"Um, I don't really think drama takes precedence over missing people," said Kim.

"Alright," Zita held up her hands. "See you tomorrow."

"Thanks!"

---------( KP )---------

Kim walked through downtown Middleton in much of a state of confusion. While accepting people's requests for help had been something she was turning a blind eye to as of late -- at least as far as her website was concerned -- she'd never considered it had gotten her out of practice or out of touch. But standing at the corner of Rose and Main in the middle of the city it became apparent to her that she had little idea of _where_ to actually find Shego.

Typically in times like this she would call on her extensive rolodex of contacts. But the grand master of finding people had always been Wade and he had packed up and left months ago.

Kim still felt guilty about the disagreement they had, but it was her choice to make. She wanted to wait, she didn't feel she was ready yet to go back to crime fighting yet, but Wade felt differently. He said she was just using getting hurt as an excuse and that she was just being a coward. Naturally, Kim didn't react well to that.

In the aftermath of their argument, Wade accepted a position at a fairly high profile think tank for young geniuses in Hartford. He got on a train heading there three months back, but never arrived. Attendants had said he departed the train on his own at a stop in Pennsylvania and subsequently vanished.

The police still were looking for him, and Kim even reached out to Dr. Director for help, but nobody could locate him. She couldn't help but feel she drove him to run away, but lots of people said it wasn't true, even her 'therapist.' Still, with both Wade and Ron gone it made her feel oddly... cursed.

Trying to bring her mind back to the present, Kim imagined herself as Shego. Where would she go for help if she'd just gotten out of a coma after six months and no longer had any super powers? The first two names that came to mind were Dr. Drakken and Senior Senior Junior. Since the former was still in an GJ holding facility last Kim knew, and even at full strength Shego would probably trouble breaking into there, she decided to drop in on her favorite billionaire's son.

As soon as she found a ride.

---------( KP )---------

"Okay, so when you say 'magic'..."

"You were not this annoying seven years ago," said Shego. She paused. "Okay, yeah, you were. But for a _totally_ different reason."

She and Celeste, aka Bella Negra, were sitting at the hotel bar now talking over a green apple martini and an Irish coffee. The rooftop of the twenty-five story building in February quickly became uncomfortable earlier and they had adjourned to the bar.

"I believe you are who you say you are," said Celeste. "I just want to make sure this super aging thing isn't contagious."

"Have you ever 'caught' old age from anyone _else_ you know?" asked Shego, stupefied.

"I guess not." Celeste sipped her drink. "So, what is it exactly you're expecting from me?"

"I need time to get access to my accounts," said Shego. "I can do it over the internet, but not with Global Justice breathing down my neck. So I need a place to stay where I won't be found."

"Global who?"

"Trust me, if you don't know, you don't need to," assured Shego. She suddenly looked somber as she sipped her martini. "Also, I need some time to figure out what I'm going to do."

"With the money?" asked Celeste, casually displaying her own primary concern.

"With my life," grumbled Shego.

Celeste looked uncomfortable. "Oh."

"There's no way I can go back to what I was doing like this," Shego said, gesturing to her face and body.

"I know several aged thieves," offered Celeste.

"Sean Connery in 'Entrapment' doesn't count."

"Well, I know at least one," compromised Celeste.

"I don't either," added Shego.

"I'm sure there are more out there," Celeste finally said.

Shego sighed heavily. "I always thought I would die young too."

"Now's not really the time to become fatalistic," said Celeste. "That's a thief's worst enemy. Believing you've failed before you've even acted."

"It's hard to get past when looking in the mirror."

"Then why bother me at all," shrugged Celeste. "Why even ask for time if you don't already have a plan?"

Shego hesitated. Did she have a plan? Or was she still just reeling from the shock of becoming how she was? That nurse last night had said something profound, and she was just starting to appreciate it. She would have to make things happen for her.

"I might have something," said Shego. "I'm not sure of the details yet, but it's the start of an idea."

"Ooh, interesting," smiled Celeste. "What's it like?"

"Well, first we're going to need something more private than a hotel room to talk in."

"Eh?"

---------( KP )---------

It'd taken more than a few calls and several favors, but Kim finally made it to the Seniors' island before dark. She wondered how many times she'd been to this place following stolen property or insane plots to bring fame to Junior.

Of all her villains, Kim felt the most responsible for the Seniors. They were just a family. A cosmically rich one, indeed, but still, they had gained that wealth through legitimate means. It was only after meeting with Kim that they had turned towards evil. She often wondered, if she had never come to this island, would they still have become villains?

Mind on the task, Kim thought to herself. Can't be distracted now.

She entered the main mansion and wandered about, persistently amazed at how she never seemed to see servants on the island and yet she knew they had to exist in scores just to maintain the immaculate manor. No sign of the Seniors this time, either, which was disconcerting. Were they here? Or were they out already causing trouble.

Suddenly the lights in the house went out simultaneously and Kim found herself largely in the dark.

"Ahh, Kim Possible," said a voice absolutely belonging to Senior. "I'd heard you were retired."

"I came out of retirement just for you, Senior Senior Senior," said Kim to the room.

"What a shame," replied Senior. "If I knew you were coming I'd have prepared a deathtrap."

The lights in the room blazed to life and Kim found herself standing on a single pedestal amidst a giant pool of sharks. She teetered back and forth a little before finally getting her balance back.

"Oh, wait," Senior continued. "I did."

Kim held her hands out to keep her balance as she looked down at the sharks eagerly swimming below. "I only came to talk, Senior, you don't need to do this," she called out.

"Then talk, for I am always eager to listen," the speakers echoed.

"I'm here looking for Shego," Kim said. "I know she used to be a close friend of your son."

"Her tutelage of my son in the ways of villain was much appreciated," said Senior. "But that was years ago. She has had no place here since then."

"No place?" asked Kim. "Hey, is Junior there? Maybe I can talk to him."

"There is nothing my son can tell you that I cannot," said Senior, wistfully. "Actually, it's much more likely that I can tell you more than he can on his own."

"There's familial love," said Kim, sarcastically.

"Wisdom is something that grows with age, but can't be easily passed," said Senior. "My son will learn the things I do with time."

"Look, Shego's gone through a couple things," said Kim. "She's hurt, in a way, and I'm just trying to keep her from getting more hurt. So if you don't have her here, I need to be going."

"Not before you defeat my deathtrap, Ms. Possible," said Senior.

Kim sighed. "If I defeat your deathtrap, will you tell me if you've seen Shego?" she asked blandly.

"Hm... yes, that would be an agreeable bargain," said Senior.

Shaking her head, Kim looked down at the pool again, looking at the pillar she'd been standing on. It wasn't too big, which is why she was trying to keep her balance, probably no more than a foot in diameter. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pack of gum. Tossing it down she noticed as soon as it hit the water the sharks got worked up into a frenzy. She sighed, this was never fun.

She leapt off the pillar and grabbed it as she fell, swinging around it in a spiral as she descended towards the water. Below, the sharks were already thrashing at their expected meal. Kim kept her eyes open for the escape route and, mere seconds before the bottom, she saw it: a metal grating covering a hole, apparently used to control the level of water in the pool. It was currently just above the surface.

Shifting her body weight to change her direction, she flung herself towards the grating, coming up predictably short. As a shark swam up to get its first bite, Kim aimed her foot right at the fish's nose, striking it hard and using it has a springboard to cover the rest of the distance. She pushed herself forward and over to the wall with the grating, pulling it off with one hand and throwing it at the second leaping shark. The grating wedged in the shark's mouth, propping it open, giving Kim a good place to push from to get the rest of the way into the hole.

Pulling herself forward with her arms she wiggled her way down the dark pipeline until she reached a junction. There she had enough room to reposition herself and proceed feet forward until she came to an access hatch. With a swift kick, it came loose from it's bolts and shed welcomed light into the pipe. With a quick push of her arms, she flung herself out of the pipeline and into the service corridor.

Where Senior and his guard were waiting.

"Very good, Ms. Possible," said Senior. "But I'm afraid, I'm better."

"Hang on, we had a deal," said Kim. "I escaped your deathtrap."

"Yes, yes," nodded Senior. "We did have a deal, and as much as the villain's code would have me betray that deal, there is little to be gained here." He waved to one of his guards who quickly produced a piece of paper.

"You missed her by a hair," said Senior. "Although, she was not actually here. She contacted my son and they scheduled a meeting for Friday."

"Friday?" said Kim.

"Indeed," nodded Senior, handing over the piece of paper. "This is the meeting location."

"Aren't you, like, betraying your son by giving me this information?" asked Kim, confused.

"You are the 'hero' are you not, Ms. Possible?"

"Yes," said Kim, suspiciously.

"So I can take you at your word," confirmed Senior.

"Of course."

"Then I trust you are only after Ms. Shego, and not my son," turned Senior. "That girl was a great asset at one time, but now she is merely causing Junior to stray from the path. I will shed no tears at her capture."

The guards fell in line behind Senior and they slowly departed.

---------( KP )---------

"After midnight?" asked Mr. Dr. Possible to his weary daughter.

"I've been trying to chase down Shego ever since she fled the hospital," said Kim. She flopped onto the couch, exhausted. "I had to go all the way to the Seniors' island."

"Hmm, not good for a school night," said her father. He was taking notes on a clipboard for... something. Kim imagined she wouldn't understand it even if she saw so she paid it little attention.

"I found out she's planning a meeting in Middleton on Friday," said Kim. "So I shouldn't be out late until then."

"I thought you weren't doing this sort of work anymore," said her father.

Kim rolled onto her back. "Dr. Alvares begged me to help and... he's been nice about me staying past visiting hours. I probably owed him." She closed her eyes. "But after this week, I definitely won't anymore."

"Well, it's nice to see you energetic about something again," said Mr. Dr. Possible, nodding. He looked at his lethargic daughter. "Well, relatively energetic."

"I'm going to get to bed," said Kim, struggling to get back up on her feet. "Odds are I won't have a convenient excuse to get out of auditioning tomorrow, so I'll have to finally do _that_."

"Favor for a friend?" asked her dad.

"Yeah, sorta," nodded Kim. "More of Ron's friend but... well, she wanted my help, and I wasn't doing anything else."

"I see," nodded Mr. Dr. Possible.

Kim slunk her way upstairs and crawled into her bed.

---------( KP )---------

Shego stood on the top of Celeste's hotel, shivering slightly in the cold breeze as she held her arms. She'd actually made her first move towards accepting this life, this fate that she'd been cursed with, and it felt sort of good. It didn't have to be a death sentence, there was still more she could do, even like this.

Her stance wavered. But she didn't want to do it like this. She wanted her youth back, desperately. She could do without her power, it was useful but not her only defining attribute, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't rid herself of this yearning for lost years, for a life she used to take for granted.

When Stoppable had come for her, back in that world oppressed by the Occupation Army, she had felt relief. She thought that she could finally stop being other people; that she could at long last be herself again. But it wasn't true. One look in a mirror could confirm that. She was still living another person's life, only this time she'd kept her name and her history. It somehow made it worse instead of better.

Somewhere out there, in a distant world, Carey and Juny were with their Aunt and Uncle. She wondered if they were happy, if they understood at all what she had done. That woman who was their real mother was a vile criminal, she had to be contained. But there was no way to tell them, to tell anyone, who she really was, so she had to simply hope things worked out. It wasn't a paradise, that world, but it was the closest she'd ever felt to home.

Tears formed in her eyes as she thought of her children. How had she become so attached to them? They weren't hers, and she'd only known them for eight months. But they were special months, that filled her full of love she didn't know she had within her. Carey and Juny had nobody but her to count on, no one to protect them or care for them. It was a big responsibility, raising them, but one that Shego was easily able to take on once forced. She was almost happy there.

The lightest sound of footsteps altered Shego to the other presence on the roof, slowly emerging from the shadows. It was a tall, muscular man completely covered in black save for a slot over his eyes. Shego casually turned and wiped her eyes to hide any traces of tears.

"So, who are you?" asked Shego, raising an eyebrow. His figure reminded Shego of Senior Senior Junior in a way, though this man had apparently spent time working his entire body, rather than just his chest and arm muscles like Junior had. Still, that time she'd trained Junior she had dressed him up in a similar outfit.

After a couple moments of musing, Shego realized the man had not responded. "Oookay," Shego decided to break the silence. "Well, I don't want any trouble, so don't mind me."

"Panther," said the large man. His voice was deep, and rumbling.

Shego blinked. "Not on this roof, there isn't," she said. "I'm pretty sure I would have noticed a rooftop dwelling _panther_."

The man turned his head slightly as if confused then tipped his head to the side slightly. He began looking around the rooftop, slowly scanning the place with his eyes before turning and walking to the edge, staring down.

Shego said nothing and, after a minute, the man leapt with incredible speed from the building, easily landing on the next. From there he repeated the process, leaping from building to building until Shego could see him no more.

Just then the door to the roof opened and Celeste stuck her head out. "Shego? You up here?"

Shego kept her eyes on where the larger man had disappeared to. "So," she said. "Who's looking for you?"

Celeste blinked. "Wha?"

"A very large man just asked me about a panther," said Shego. She turned and leaned against the rooftop edge as she looked at Celeste. "Unless a pack of wild rooftop panthers moved into Middleton while I was in a coma, I imagine he was looking for you, Bella Negra."

"Er," Celeste looked away. "Big man, wearing all black, says practically nothing?"

"That would be the one," said Shego.

"Hrm," she sagged. "I ran into him last night while I was... liberating some information from the Exchange building. He's the reason I was in the hospital."

Shego shook her head. "This is not a good start," she said. "Let's get back inside before he notices you."

---------( KP )---------

"Well, K," said Bonnie at the lockers before class. "That's twice now."

"I'm doing it this afternoon, so you can back off, Bon-bon," said Kim.

"I wouldn't want you to do you don't have the ability to," Bonnie egged her on.

"Oh, I've got the ability," Kim got into her face. "I just hope we don't have to deal with the waterworks when I get the part and you don't."

Kim turned on her foot and stormed off to class. Behind her Bonnie smiled genuinely.

---------( KP )---------

"Buh," said Kim, sitting down in first period History class. "I shouldn't have to deal with that so early in the morning."

"Troubles?" asked Monique. She was trying to say as little as possible to be cautious, she had a feeling that yesterday's conversation about therapy had strained their relationship somewhat.

"Just Bonnie," said Kim. "I don't need her to remind me of the things I'm already thinking about doing."

"Auditions?" ventured Monique.

"Yeah," nodded Kim. "Shego's apparently gone AWOL and her doctor asked me to look for her, so I couldn't go yesterday. I'll do it today."

"Did you find her?"

"No," Kim shook her head. "But I got some ... somewhat reliable information that she's scheduled a meeting in Middleton on Friday. I'll just wait it out and grab her then."

"Why would she schedule a meeting?" asked Monique, confused.

"I'm not sure, but it involves Senior Senior Junior, so I'm not pleased at what it might mean." Kim leaned on her hand. "Although, she's not typically the 'schedule and meet' type of person, more of the 'break in and demand' sort. I wonder what's up?"

"She's hardly as spry as she used to be," said Monique. "Maybe she needs that much time just to get there."

"I wouldn't assume that. Shego is nothing if not determined."

"There isn't any way for her to... you know," Monique gestured. "Get young again, is there?"

"The doctors aren't even sure how she got old," said Kim. "I assume it's some wonky side-effect of the Mantle of Tenoch. But that strangely vanished or got absorbed by her body or whatever. Ultimately, it's gone now, so there's nothing to even study to find a reversal."

"It vanished while she was in a coma?" asked Monique.

"Yeah," nodded Kim.

"So... maybe Junior has it, and that's why she's meeting with him."

Kim blinked. "That's... not a terribly bad idea," she said. "Though I would be curious as to how he got it off her, since even the combined might of GJ failed to get it off. There aren't a lot of people who know much about the mantle."

"Girl, Senior is rich to the bones," said Monique. "If there was information out there, I'm sure he could buy it."

"Good point," nodded Kim. She stared aimlessly for a moment then sighed. "I guess I need to talk to Senior again."

"Just grab Junior at the meeting," said Monique. "It beats flying across the world for a social visit."

"I suppose," said Kim.

"Morning everyone," said Dr. Rick as he finally arrived. "I hope you're all ready for a day of glorious learning."

The class made sounds as if they were the undead in response.

---------( KP )---------

Kim had just sat down after grabbing her salad when she was suddenly joined by Zita. "Kim, do you have five minutes?" she asked, urgently.

"Well, I'm eating but--" started Kim.

"Can you come to the music room to do the audition now?" she asked.

"Now?" puzzled Kim.

"Mr. Henderson has an open period right now. He said if you're typically busy after school he can hear you now."

Kim looked awkwardly around but there was no one nearby to get support from. "I suppose?" offered Kim. "But my lunch--"

"You can take it with you," said Zita, grabbing Kim's tray and lifting it.

Kim watched her salad start moving away. She sighed and fell in line behind it.

"So, how'd that thing go after school yesterday," asked Zita as they walked through the halls.

"It could have been worse," said Kim, shrugging.

"I noticed you weren't doing that saving the world stuff anymore," said Zita. "Why'd you stop?"

Kim opened her mouth but then subsequently closed it. There wasn't nearly enough history between her and Zita to talk about this, so it was better if she didn't.

"Personal reasons," said Kim, and felt the issue best left at that.

Zita disagreed. "I miss Ron being around," she said, rather suddenly.

Kim felt both conflicted and hurt at the same time. Ron was _her_ boyfriend now, she didn't need to hear the feelings of one of his former interests. Of course, Ron was on the other side of the world now. With that Yori girl, most likely. She wondered if he even remembered her. "He abandoned me," Kim said, then almost immediately regretted it.

"He did it to me first, you know," said Zita. "Though I realized eventually it wasn't intentional."

"How could it not be intentional?" asked Kim, sharply.

"You know him," said Zita. "He's lives on synchronicity. I was lucky to get his attention for as long as I did. He doesn't intend to be mean to anyone, but his attention drifts on unseen currents."

"He's just easily distracted," said Kim. "He can focus if he needs to."

"Of course he can," said Zita. "But I don't think he really wants to. His chaotic life is freedom to him, and he won't give that up willingly. Even for us."

Kim frowned. She wanted to scream at Zita for butting her nose in business that didn't involve her. She wanted yell that she didn't know him as well as she did.

But she couldn't. Ron held a big place in her heart, she didn't want to hear that there wasn't an equally sized piece in his. She didn't want to admit that even on their closest days, his interest was passing, and often distracted by his various obsessions. Sure, he had intensity, and passion, and there had been very romantic times between them, but for some reason they always had to struggle to find them. There was always something else in the way first, that Kim had to push aside to find his fire.

What did that mean? Did he really like her? Was this just how love was in his mind? Or was she just another of his long list of obsessions, drawn to the forefront by current events, but pushed aside when something new came along? She had no idea, and she hated him for not being around to ask.

Kim felt the pain again, the piercing jab in her heart she woke up to every morning after Ron left. How long would she feel betrayed? Would she still feel it when he returned?

Was he going to return?

"He'll be back," said Zita, almost reading Kim's mind. "Soon, I get the feeling."

"How can you be sure, if his life is as random as you say?" asked Kim.

"I'm not sure," Zita shook her head. "But... it's strange. I had this dream last night and I could have sworn I remembered Ron in it, just standing there, watching me in the corner of my eye. I don't know why he would be there, the dream had nothing to do with him, but... I just felt like it was him." She smiled slightly. "I think it means he'll be returning soon."

Kim didn't really think dreams were any good sign of anything, and found it hard to put any faith in Zita's statement. But then again, Shego had said something about Ron and dreams earlier too. She hadn't had the opportunity to inquire further about it and now she wished she had.

"Here we are," said Zita, opening the door to the music room. Mr. Henderson, one of the elder teachers with short peppered gray hair wearing a sky-blue shirt with a brown sweater over it, was sitting by a piano making notes on some sheets of music. The music room was fairly large with a number of instruments to one side and a series of raised platforms for the choir to stand on during practices.

"Hi, Zita," said Mr. Henderson. He turned his attentions towards Kim. "Hi, Kim."

"Hello, Mr. Henderson," said Kim, politely. She'd never been in this room, it quickly occurred to her. Despite her vocal talents, she'd never been particularly interested in the choir or in playing an instrument.

"I'm glad you could spare some time for your audition," he said smiling. "I know you one of our busiest students."

"Not all too busy until recently," said Kim. "But if you think I might be able to help out, I'd be glad to give it a try."

"Great," said Mr. Henderson. "If you wouldn't mind standing on the first row over there." He motioned towards the raised dais. He dug through the papers sitting on top of the piano before finally pulling out three sheets covered in text and one page with music on it. He handed the pages to Zita who ferried them over to Kim while Mr. Henderson sat at the piano.

"We'll start with the dialog pages," the teacher said. "Zita will read for Raoul, you read the parts marked 'Christine.'"

Kim nodded. Raoul was Christine's love interest in the play, it would be weird playing that role opposite a girl, but she figured it was no stranger than all parts in Romeo and Juliet being played by men back in Shakespeare's time.

"Begin when you're ready," said Mr. Henderson.

---------( KP )---------

Celeste looked over Shego's shoulder at the cybercafé in downtown Middleton located on the opposite side of the city as their hotel.

"Are you sure we should be doing this here?" she whispered to her.

"There's nothing illegal about getting my account information," said Shego. "I don't care who's watching right now."

"Then why did we come all the way out here?" asked Celeste, looking around. There were a strangely high number of elder citizens in this café. Well, strange compared to her previous conceptions about such a place. She'd never been in one before now but had always assumed they'd be filled with throngs of young nerds.

"Because someone _will_ notice I've checked my account sometime tonight," said Shego. "I'd rather they start searching for me here, rather than closer to your hotel."

"Oh," said Celeste.

Shego changed browser windows on the computer. She was researching everything she could on this 'Black Shadow' that Celeste said was on her tail. The silent man was intriguing to her, and she wondered what his story was. She was in no hurry to meet the man again, but it didn't hurt to know more about potential enemies.

"Looks like he first showed up in New York," said Shego. "Then Philadelphia, Albany, Trenton, and Boston. Odd."

"Odd?" asked Celeste. "Why?"

"Well, because they seem out of order," explained Shego. "You have to go south from New York City to get to Philadelphia, then north past New York City to Albany, then south again past New York to Trenton, then finally north past all those cities to Boston. It would make more sense for him to have started in Philadelphia, then headed north to Trenton, New York, Albany, then Boston."

"They're radiating out of New York City, though," pointed out Celeste. "He could be based there."

"But there are no sightings anywhere in New York City after he first showed up in Philly," Shego frowned. "I don't get it. It's almost like he's looking for someone who used to be in New York but is not sure where they went afterwards."

"You think he's checking _every_ city?" asked Celeste.

"Every major one, anyway," shrugged Shego. "I just don't get why he'd be after you now. If he's searching that intently, why waste time to deal with random criminals."

"Maybe he just has very strong morals," said Celeste.

Shego mused about that as she switched back to the bank screen. She'd entered a boatload of information about herself to recover her access and it was apparently still not enough to get through. She was starting to regret never really wasting her time monitoring her funds. She'd find a way to fly out there in person, if she wasn't almost positive that her appearance would make it even more difficult.

Shego typed in a bunch more dates, places, and numbers to prove who she was. By the end she'd determined this digital age sucked.

Finally she received a login to check her account and entered the information in quickly. Her balance appeared and some options for manipulating her money. She'd have to transfer some of it to something easier to access in the US.

"Holy..." started Celeste from over Shego's shoulder. "How did... don't you ever spend your money?" she asked, astonished.

Shego shook her head. "Not really," she replied. "I'm usually pretty well provided for by the goons I work with. Apart from the random spa day I rarely have a need for my money." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "And, come to think of it, I expensed the last couple of those I took to Drakken."

"Then... why..." said Celeste, but she was evidently lost in thought looking at the many glorious zeroes.

"The challenge," shrugged Shego, scheduling some of her money to be sent to an independent bank nearby to withdraw. "I never cared much for money, but negotiating contracts is fun. I needed to put it somewhere, so I just had it all wired to these accounts."

"We could buy the hotel we're staying at for this much money," said Celeste, slightly drooling. "Twice."

"Oh, I'm sure _that_ wouldn't attract attention," said Shego, sarcastically. She finished her banking and logged out of the account. Celeste almost looked depressed when the browser closed. Shego stood and shut off the computer. "All right, let's get to the bank, and then you're going to switch hotels."

"I am?" asked Celeste, puzzled.

"Unless you want to increase the odds that Black Shadow finds you," pointed out Shego.

"I'm going to go with 'no' on that one," said Celeste, leading the way out of the café.

---------( KP )---------

Against all odds, the audition actually made Kim feel good. The conversation leading up to it could have been lighter, but pretending to be someone else, then singing with the passion of a budding romance was exhilarating. Mr. Henderson's enthusiastic praise was even more boosting to her morale. She could definitely enjoy this thoroughly. The final casting would be posted next Tuesday. She could hardly wait.

"Well, if isn't Ms. Perfect," came Bonnie's sarcastic voice, barreling down the hall like a bulldozer. Kim simply ignored the venom.

"I just auditioned over lunch," said Kim. "So you can drop it."

"Feh," said Bonnie, folding her arms. "Not until we see if you got cast."

"I'm not too worried," said Kim, walking past Bonnie and humming to herself.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow as her rival traveled down the hall. _Finally_ she's gotten her back into the game. Now, how to turn this around so that she ended up on top?

---------( KP )---------

"So, how'd she do?"

Zita looked up to see Malcolm leering over her as she played with the lighting controls for the stage. The techs on stage assembling the opera house were now bathed in red light with three spots of green.

"Pretty good," Zita said, turning back to her work. The lighting table was horribly complicated to program, for reasons that she couldn't decipher. She had to constantly remind herself that the controls were intended to control stage lighting and that she wasn't repurposing it from some other task. The fact that setting up a new lighting sequence required her to hold three buttons in diametrically opposite places on the keypad didn't seem to help.

"Think she'll get in?" asked Malcolm.

"It's fairly certain," she said, bending over briefly to use her nose to press the third key. "Henderson was pretty impressed. She shouldn't have any trouble."

"Excellent," said Malcolm, excited. Zita glanced up at him skeptically, then returned to her work. She had to be careful not to hit any buttons she didn't intend to or she'd have to start from scratch on the lighting program. She looked around the table.

"Have you seen my script?" Zita asked, looking under the table and in the overhead shelves.

"No," said Malcolm, who soon joined her on the search. After a few minutes they found it under one leg of the stereo cabinet in the corner. Zita boggled as to how it got there, but opened it up to her page of notes.

"Do you think she'll like it?" asked Malcolm. "Being in the play."

Zita frowned as she looked at the lighting sequence she had scribbled. She didn't have the right lights to do it all, so she'd have to improvise. "She seemed to enjoy singing," said Zita, before beginning to press the lighting cues in sequence, slowly.

"Do you think she'll..." he trailed off.

"I'm trying to think about not screwing up these lights," said Zita, rolling her eyes. On stage, the lights were changing from brown to dark red to white and then pale green. Some of the techs fell to the ground in mock seizures, but Zita continued on regardless.

"Do you think I have a chance?" Malcolm finally asked.

Zita sighed. "I'm not going to tell you what to do," she said. "She holds a torch for Ron, and I'm not going to kid you, she acts like its destiny."

"Oh," said Malcolm. "But he's gone now, right?"

"I have no idea what that guy thinks really," said Zita. "But I wouldn't assume he's gone for good. I have a feeling he's going to be back soon."

"A feeling?" asked Malcolm, confused.

Zita finished entering the lighting cues and held down the function button while moving the third slider up and down six times to get the panel to stop recording. Or was it supposed to be seven? She moved it a few more times to be sure. "Just a feeling," she said.

"Hrm," mumbled Malcolm. "Do you think they'll just get back together?"

"Would your feelings change if they did?" asked Zita, running the program she just entered. Instead of changing between colors in the slow sequence she'd set, the lights blazed on and off through the program in ten seconds then all lights on the stage came on at once, blanketing the whole area in a blinding light. She quickly flicked the master lighting switch and moved the slider down, dimming them all at once. She peered out of the window in her booth at the stage. It looked like a couple students had gotten lightly tanned. Zita threw her script on the lighting panel in frustration. "This thing was created by hellspawn. I'm sure of it."

"My feelings wouldn't change," said Malcolm firmly, continuing the conversation.

Zita swiveled her chair to look at him. "Then don't waste your time thinking about it," she said. "For what it's worth, I think you've got the right approach. Getting her into drama club will give you more in common, more to talk about. Talking is good."

"Not for you, though," said Malcolm, raising an eyebrow.

"I like talking," Zita said defensively. "I just don't like to say much."

"..." said Malcolm.

"..." she agreed.

---------( KP )---------

Kim arrived in the office just before four and already started to feel the good mood she'd been in since the audition start to dribble away. The muted colors in the lobby were combined with several 'inspirational' posters of various seemingly profound but ultimately impossible to apply philosophy. Several nice leather chairs sat in the room with some magazines between them and a bold receptionist's desk made of granite loomed eerily to one side.

Kim approached the desk and smiled to the receptionist. "I'm here to see Dr. Talstead," she said.

The man behind the desk nodded. "I'll let her know, Ms. Possible. Have a seat while you're waiting." He looked down to his computer and began clicking. Kim took a step back then went to sit down in one of the chairs. Despite their lavish appearance, the chairs were actually quite uncomfortable in Kim's opinion.

A few minutes passed and Kim had idly picked up a fashion magazine and looked casually over the advertisements for makeup. She never really was a big proponent of makeup but she occasionally looked to see if there were any major fashion shifts. It was also a relief anytime she opened a magazine and saw no mention of 'Kim-Style.'

"Kim," the receptionist suddenly said. She looked up. "Dr. Talstead said you can go on in."

"Thanks," said Kim, tossing the magazine onto the stack and heading for the solid wooden door.

With a short breath she turned the handle and strode in. The office of Dr. Talstead was quite simple. It was rectangular lengthwise with a couple potted plants, a large old oak desk, two couches and four chairs, and only a couple things hanging on the walls. The colors matched the lobby, using sandy yellow colors and browns in contrast.

"Hi Kim," said Dr. Talstead, looking up from her notebook and peering over her half-moon glasses. Dr. Theresa Talstead was a middle-aged woman, just beginning to show her grays at the temples, with shoulder length curly hair, slightly tanned skin and the tendency to wear sweaters. Today was no exceptions, as she had a knitted sweater jacket over her shoulders in a dark green color.

"Hi... Terri," said Kim. The doctor had insisted she call her by her first name in order to make things appear less formal. Kim was of the opinion that people use what's most comfortable to them by default anyway, and that by insisting she use a certain name was, in fact, less relaxing. She'd not voiced her opinion to the good doctor, however.

"I see I finally rose to the top of your schedule," she said, somewhat jokingly ... but also somewhat accusatory.

"I've been busy recently," said Kim, coming over to sit by the desk. Terri stood and walked around the desk to sit on the chair beside her.

"Must be pretty important stuff," said the doctor.

"Some of it is, I guess?" said Kim, looking around. She'd gotten so bored of this office. "Sorry for not calling you in advance on Tuesday."

"Its fine," nodded Terri. "I'm glad you're getting out again."

"I don't know about 'getting out'," started Kim. "I've just been trying to track down an old... friend."

"Why'd you hesitate?" asked Terri.

"It's Shego," said Kim. "I know your opinions on her and I, and I still disagree."

"Which is fine," said Terri.

"But she's out of her element," continued Kim. "She's going to hurt herself because she has no idea how to act now that she's old."

Terri laughed. "Getting old isn't like traveling to another country, many people just continue doing what they've always done."

"Well, she's a henchman," said Kim. "And a thief. Neither of those things are probably easy now that she's over seventy."

"Were they easy to begin with?" asked Terri.

"No," said Kim, frowning.

"Then, I'm sure she'll manage. Based on what you've told me of her, she's very resourceful." Terri reached over her desk and grabbed her notebook and pen. "Unless you have some other reason to chase after her."

"She's up to something," said Kim, nodding.

"Ah, of course," said Terri, writing.

"I hate it when you do that," said Kim, annoyed. "When you just randomly agree with me then begin jotting notes. I feel like you're just keeping a tally and once you reach a certain number you're going to throw me in an asylum."

Terri blinked. "I had no idea," she said, closing her book. "I'm not going to put you into an asylum, Kim. You're fairly mentally balanced."

"Then why always with the notes after I say something?" said Kim.

"Mostly because I can't remember everything," smiled Terri. "Sorry if I made you feel nervous."

"It's alright, I guess," said Kim.

"So you've been looking for Shego because she ran away?" asked Terri.

"Yeah, and her doctor asked me to find her." Kim looked out the window behind Terri's desk. "He's been kind to me, so I thought I'd give him a hand. But it's starting to look like Shego may be up to her old habits again, so I'm sort of regretting it."

"You don't want to be involved in that kind of life anymore," said Terri. "Helping people."

"No, that's not it," said Kim. "I just... I want time. I'm not ready to go back to all that..."

"When will you be ready?" asked Terri. "It's already been six months, and you've fully recovered from your injury."

"When I'm ready," said Kim.

"Why aren't you ready now?"

"Because I'm not," insisted Kim. Terri looked at her plainly. "I just don't think..." she trailed off and immediately regretted it.

"Are you afraid?" asked Terri.

"No," Kim said quickly.

"Both Ron and Wade are gone," said Terri. "Do you think that you can't do it without them?"

"It's hard without Wade," said Kim. "But clearly not impossible. I started long before I ever met Wade, after all."

"What about Ron?"

"Ron..." started Kim. "I've managed without him in the past as well."

"You've done a lot on your own," said Terri. "But that doesn't mean you don't need your friends."

"I don't _need_ my friends to catch Shego," Kim said firmly.

"But you want them," suggested Terri.

Kim frowned. "I guess."

"Why wouldn't you want them?" asked Terri. "Don't they make it easier?"

"I don't need things to be easy," insisted Kim.

"That's not what I asked."

"Well, then, what?" said Kim, angrily. "Is it easier having a contact that can get any piece of information at any time? Yes, of course it is. Is it easier fighting scores of baddies with a partner? _Obviously_."

"Then you want them back with you," concluded Terri.

Kim paused. "Yeah, fine, I want them back."

"Why wouldn't you want them to help you?"

"I just said I wanted them back," said Kim. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to tell me why you aren't completely comfortable with Ron and Wade coming back to work with you when they've been two of your closest friends for a while now," said Terri. "You say they make things easier, that they're helpful, and that you miss them. Why wouldn't you want them to return?"

"Because they _betrayed me_!" yelled Kim. She shuttered in her own skin for just saying it and felt terrible. She held her arms tight against her and looked away.

"Don't close up, Kim," said Terri, softly. "Why do you think they've betrayed you?"

"I count on them," said Kim, reluctantly. "I expect them to be there to... but they left, when I needed them."

"They betrayed your trust in them to keep you safe," said Terri.

"I don't need them to keep me safe," said Kim. "I go into combat mostly on my own."

"I'm not talking about physical safety, Kim," said Terri. "You were part of a team. An independent, self-empowered team out there doing things others wouldn't. You put yourself out in the open over an ideal, which was incredibly dangerous. But as a team, you faced it, endured it."

Terri leaned forward slightly. "When you spend enough time as a team, you start to become more than just co-workers. You start to view each other as part of a family. Everything that happens to one, happens to all. You become much like an emotional safety net, protecting each other in case something falls."

"When Ron left, your safety net fell apart," said Terri. "And you fell a little bit. Then when Wade left, the rest of it vanished."

Terri looked sadly at her. "So you _are_ afraid, despite what you tell me, and it makes sense. Don't deny it to yourself. The people who had always protected you are gone. It's got to be shocking, and scary."

Kim frowned deeply.

"Anyone would be afraid," said Terri. "And you have to acknowledge that fear if you want to overcome it. Face it. Don't let it be nameless and in the dark or it will keep coming back at you."

Kim looked down. "If they felt the same way, why did they leave?"

"They probably haven't, not in their minds," said Terri. "Ron is still trying to be your safety net, that's why you said he left, to find new ways of protecting you. Your friend Wade said he left to keep the fight on, to protect your 'vision' which he viewed as equally as important as your person."

"That's not fair," said Kim. "They can leave and feel fine and I get stuck with this stupid feeling."

"I'm sure it was agonizing to them as well," said Terri. "They may have made choices that are questionable, but they weren't any easier to make. If, in your heart, you really want them back, you have to forgive them for that."

Kim looked up. "Forgive?"

"Or you'll never stop feeling betrayed," said Terri.

Kim closed her eyes. Why are all the hard things to do so easy to say?

---------( KP )---------

Black.

The only thing he could see, feel, touch, taste, or hear anymore was black. It was terrifying not to be able to have any sense of where he was or for how long. Sensory deprivation was supposed to be a form of torture and he could easily see how that was the case. The only reason why he was able to keep his mind sharp was because his jailor would occasionally come to visit.

From the oozing blackness, a figure appeared in the shape of a well built man dressed all in black. He was tall, quiet, and imposing.

Wade Load simply got up from his sitting position and put his hands on his hips. "What now?" he asked, with a scowl.

"I can't find the Panther," said the black figure.

"Sorry to hear that," said Wade in a tone of voice that indicated, clearly, that he wasn't.

"Help me find the Panther," insisted the figure.

"Let. Me. Go," insisted Wade.

"I will not," said the figure. He spoke in complete monotone matching the singular color of his dress, and the singular purpose for which he acted. "You cannot be released."

"Then stop asking for my advice," said Wade.

"You have a stake in my continued existence," said the man in black. "It benefits you to improve my knowledge."

"Not if you never have any intent to release me," commented Wade. He looked up wearily at his jailor. "You were created to serve me, not the other way around."

"..."

"Hah," laughed Wade.

"Your existence could be made to be less neutral," said the man.

"Less neutral?"

"_Painful_," emphasized Wade's jailor.

"Y-you can't touch me here," said Wade, nervously. "Not without risking yourself."

"I can show you things that will bring you pain," said the figure. "I can bring pain on those you care about."

Wade's eyes went wide. "Where are you right now?" he asked.

"Middleton."

Sweat beaded on his brow as he swallowed hard. "You wouldn't hurt an innocent," he said. "It goes against your primary directive."

"I am limited by an imperative to avoid _physical_ damages to innocent people," said the man. "However, buildings can been damaged, jobs can be lost, people can be compelled through non-physical means."

"That's illegal!" yelled Wade.

"I have no directive that limits me to acting within the law."

Wade shivered and frowned.

"Show me what you know about the Panther," he said.

---------( KP )---------

Monique chomped readily on her salad. The school had just expanded their salad offerings to include Caesar salad, which finally pushed Monique over the edge from the questionable content daily meals to the stylish salad bar. She loved a good Ceasar salad and while the one she was eating now was far from 'good,' it was decent enough illicit a smile.

Kim was sitting next to her with her mixed greens, picking idling at her food.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come along?" asked Monique. "I've worked the mission mojo before."

Kim shook her head. "No, I'm not expecting it to be much trouble."

"You're not expecting _Shego_ to be much trouble?" said Monique.

"Yeah, when you say it aloud like that, it does sound bad," Kim sighed.

"Uh, H-hi Kim," came a voice from behind her. She turned to see Malcolm, wearing decidedly less black than normal. "Hi, Monique."

"Hey, Malcolm," said Kim. "Is there something wrong at club?"

"Oh, no," Malcolm shook his head. "I was just wondering if I could join you two. Zita's busy today researching some English paper in the library."

"Sure," said Kim, motioning to the rest of the table. Malcolm sat down deliberately while Kim ate some more of her salad.

"What's the deal with you two anyway?" asked Monique. "You seem to be joined at the hip sometimes."

"No, not really," said Malcolm. "She's just a good friend, which I happy after I ... well, you know, with the Everlot game." He looked a little regretful. "I'm just glad she forgave me."

"No fire between you two then?" pursued Monqiue with an impish grin. "Even after two years."

"No," Malcolm said definitively. "Just friends," he smiled.

"That's good," said Kim. "Not every relationship needs to end in dating."

"Right," nodded Malcolm.

"Uh-huh," said Monique, not convinced. "So back to this Shego thing."

"Shego?" asked Malcolm.

"Crazy villain girl who messes with Kim at just about every possible opportunity," said Monique.

"Not _every_ opportunity," said Kim, then failed to come up with an example. "Well, I'm sure there's been at least one."

"I think you need backup," said Monique. "And I've done it before."

"I know, but," Kim struggled. "She's like, seventy now, I don't think she'll be able to put up much of a fight."

"I wouldn't underestimate her," said Monique. "You should take an army with you."

"Um, no," said Kim.

"Fine, but at least call me if you run into any trouble, okay?" said Monique. "I'm worried about you."

Kim smiled, "Okay, I'll call. But you don't need to worry."

---------( KP )---------

It was late afternoon when Kim arrived at the meeting location. According to the information that Senior gave her, they were going to talk in the underground parking garage attached to the courthouse. A fairly risky location for criminals to meet at, thought Kim, and she wondered if she'd been fed information.

Kim checked her watch. Five thirty. The meeting was scheduled for six, so that gave her thirty minutes to scope out the area enough to find a good place to hide. She needed to know what they were meeting about, and she figured the best way would be to listen in and jump out when the time was right.

The garage had a low ceiling with easy visibility, so there was no way to hide up above. The better bet was to find a car to squeeze behind or just view from the ramp leading up to the next level. There was also a closed staircase she could hide in, peeking out of the door. Would they check for people spying on them, or would they think their communication was confidential? Kim weighed the options. Shego was smart but often brash, she might just assume if there was trouble she could get out of it. Then again, she was not in the best shape of her life right now, which might prompt her to be more cautious.

Kim figured it was better to be safe than sorry and decided to go for the staircase, which had the best chance of her being able to stay hidden seeing as she could prop the door open to peer through and listen for anyone coming down the stairs pretty easily. She quickly dashed across the lot and into the staircase, taking it down to the scheduled level, and then used a brick to keep the door open a little bit while she backed into the shadows beneath the staircase.

She immediately decided that while this was probably the best hiding place, it smelled absolutely the worst.

It was exactly six o'clock when the first car pulled up, a large black van which stopped on the side of the row instead of parking in a space. With its engine idling it stayed there, unmoving. Kim watched carefully for any sign of who was inside but could see nothing through the tinted windows.

A few minutes later a limousine appeared which drove up to stop opposite the van. Kim crept forward to the gap in the door to get a better look down the lot and see the whole limo. She figured that was Junior, and, less than a minute later, a door opened and the young billionaire's son emerged holding a manila folder.

Then the back of the van opened and Shego carefully stepped out. Even for her age and her hurt ankle, she moved pretty quickly, which was both impressive and disconcerting for Kim. She was dressed up pretty nice, in a black suit with a dark green shirt and a lime green zig-zag across her jacket.

But she climbed out of the back of the van, which made Kim wonder who was driving.

Junior and Shego approached each other casually as Kim watched on. She leaned her ear up against the gap in the door to hear better, losing the ability to watch.

"I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it," said Junior. "Are you really Shego? No her grandmother or something?"

"Listen, pretty boy, I may look like this but that doesn't mean I'm going to ensure any cracks about my age," she snapped.

"Yeah, you're definitely Shego," said Junior.

"Well, now that we've gotten our laugh out of the way," said Shego. "What do you have?"

"Four possibilities inside your range," said Junior. "With a couple more I suggested due to their good sun and warm weather quotient."

"You know, you'd almost be a good villain if your brain did anything of use," said Shego, wryly. "Hmm, this one looks nice."

"My father had his eyes set on that one for a while," said Junior. "But around that time we had all our money stolen by that grifter."

"You mean you signed away your father's wealth in a moment of idiocy," said Shego.

"Eh, we got it back," said Junior. "So what are you going to do with it?"

"Can we hide the purchase from your father?" asked Shego.

"I dunno," said Junior. "He's a big player in this game. But I don't know if he keeps track of these old interests."

Kim turned to see if she could get a better look at what they were reading. As she did, she noticed the shadow move just at the edge of her vision. Immediately she threw herself backwards, away from the door as a black figure descended with outstretched arms in her earlier location.

The figure was an athletic woman in a black skin-tight catsuit and what almost looked liked cat ears on her head. A black visor came down over her face in a V-shape ending at the tip of her nose with darkly tinted piece of glass over her eyes. A coiled rope and a few pouches hung from her waist and at least two daggers were sheathed near either shoulder.

The figure turned to face Kim and the latter immediately regretted jumping backwards away from the door rather than through it. She'd effectively backed herself into a corner.

Kim got back to her feet and held her hands at the ready. "So, who are you supposed to be?" she asked. "Kitty Gal?"

The woman quickly came at her but Kim lithely spun to the side then launched off the corner wall to land on the staircase. The woman was fast, however, and already was swinging at Kim even as she was just getting her balance.

Kim jumped up a few more steps then came back with a downwards kick that nearly grazed the woman's shoulder before she slipped to the side and used a jab to Kim's gut to knock her back. Kim staggered on the stairs, unable to get a good footing. The woman was fast. _Really_ fast. Kim needed a better advantage than simply height.

Kim turned and ran up the rest of the stairs to the first landing where the staircase turned around to go up and reach the second basement level. She heard the ever so quiet steps of the woman right behind her and grinned. Once she reached the bend in the staircase, instead of turning she ran straight ahead, putting her foot to the wall and back flipping over the woman to land on the staircase behind her.

Even as the woman turned to face Kim again she was leaping down the rest of the staircase and bolted out the door.

In the parking garage, Shego and Junior must have heard the ruckus because they were already looking at her when she exited the staircase. She started running for Shego, figuring she was the least capable of the people here, and intended to grab the folder and bail, cutting her losses. To her surprise, Shego squared off, facing her, the folder tightly gripped in her palm.

Kim ran quickly, closing the distance between them, moving past the nose of the limousine and getting ready to acrobatically flip over Shego, snatching the folder in the process. The light footsteps echoing behind her had to be the cat woman, so she had little time to think.

She was just timing her steps right to make the leap when suddenly the door from Junior's limo swung open into her path. Kim tried to skid to the side but had too much forward momentum and struck the door hard, hitting it first with her hip then striking her head against the edge and collapsing to the floor hard. Her vision blurred and swam as she felt like she was going to vomit.

"Hey Kimmie," said Shego in a disgustingly pleased tone.

A pair of arms were suddenly around Kim, picking her up and holding her arms behind her back as she stood woozily. She shook her head to clear the fog but it just gave her a splitting headache. She was facing Shego and Junior, both of which were smiling.

"I'm glad you could join us," Shego grinned. "Makes me feel young again," she cooed in a sing-song voice.

Kim's arms were suddenly pulled even tighter behind her back and she yelped in pain. "Shego... what are you doing?" asked Kim.

"What do you mean?" said Shego. "What do you expect me to do?" She walked closer to the heroine. "Stay in the hospital, go to my magical therapy sessions, and live the life of a dotting old grandmother? Please."

"Not a lot you can do now," said Kim. "Can't even go one-on-one against me anymore without some hired help!"

"Alas, you are right and I should challenge you to prove I am still the better woman," Shego mocked, putting the back of her hand to her forehead in a dramatic pose. "Yeah, no."

Kim glared at her. "No regret then? No remorse that your greedy lifestyle is what caused you to lose most of your life to an ugly stone helmet?"

Shego looked frowned slightly and slowly blinked. "I can't change the past," she said. "If I don't do something with what I have left, then I might as well have died."

"Do something productive," insisted Kim. "Do something _right_."

Shego smiled again and tucked the folder under her arm. "Living my life as I want is what's right for me." She reached out and grabbed Kim's chin, lifting her so they stared eye to eye. "Always chasing after me, one step behind and never in front... that's what's right for you."

She roughly pushed Kim's face to the side and turned back to Junior. "But it is weary, always having a tail," said Shego. "What do you think Junior?"

"Me?" he said, confused.

"Yes, you," said Shego. "Do you have your own thoughts or are they just put there by your father and fashion magazines?"

"I have my own thoughts," Junior said defensively.

"Then prove it," said Shego. "What do you think we should do with Kimmie?"

"We... should..." Junior thought hard about it and Kim could almost see the smoke coming from his ears. "Frame her."

Shego blinked. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" she said quickly.

Junior immediately recoiled, expecting to be scolded. "I'm just... thinking that we should commit a crime and make sure she gets blamed for it. You know... so she can know how it feels."

Shego looked shocked then smiled lazily and walked over to put an arm around Junior's shoulders. "You DO have original ideas! I'm very proud of you," she doted on him. "Frame her. What do you think Bella Negra?"

The woman behind Kim shifted slightly. "Sounds exciting enough," she said impartially. "We shouldn't--" she started to say, but didn't get a chance to finish because she suddenly buckled backwards releasing her grip on Kim. "AAKKGGG!!"

Kim rolled immediately away as soon as she was free, scampering between the cars to recover.

"It's the Black Shadow!" yelled Shego.

Kim looked up in time to see a tall, muscular man covered entirely in black leap out from the doorway of the staircase towards the cat woman Shego called Bella Negra. Shego immediately stepped forward and leapt into a kick at the man, knocking him enough out of the way to allow Bella Negra to scramble back to her feet.

"Who's that?" yelled Junior as he backed away towards his limousine. The driver, who had opened the car door earlier to knock out Kim, stepped out and pulled a tazer, aiming it at the man and firing. The two propelled darts arced out and struck the chest of the black covered man. The driver of the limo immediately started the current but instead of shocking the man and sending him sprawling to the floor he just stood there and took it, not showing any sign of being hurt at all.

"What the..." started the driver but that was all he got before the man in black pulled out the darts and flung them off-handedly back at the man. They struck his chest and sent the quick jolt back at him causing him to scream out then collapse to the floor.

"That was effective," said Shego sarcastically as she stood behind Bella Negra and backed towards the van.

The man in black rushed forward again, but this time Bella Negra was ready and was able to meet him halfway. They began swinging at each other quickly, going through a long series of marital arts moves that impressed Kim considerably. Both were clearly very skilled but Kim saw, after a few moments, that the man was slowly increasing his speed. His attacks got closer and closer with each attempt.

Kim realized everyone was focused on the fight and took the opportunity to leap at Shego. They fell to the ground with Kim on top but Shego quickly wedged her knee into her chest and pushed her back. Kim was surprised at the force of the kick but was easily able to recover as they rolled around on the pavement.

"Attacking an old woman? That's pitiful, Pumpkin," scowled Shego.

"There's nothing pitiful about you," sneered Kim.

Shego smiled broadly as they struggled. "I'm glad you finally recognize that." She suddenly freed her hand and flicked her wrist causing a small pistol to fall into her palm. She pushed the barrel of the gun into Kim's temple, causing her to cease struggling immediately. Her body shivered uncontrollably at the sight of the weapon but she struggled to contain it.

"See?" said Shego, pushing Kim back and getting back to her feet. "Even an 'old woman' like me has a few tricks up her sleeve." She blinked. "Quite literally!"

"Shego..." said Junior, anxiously. He pointed to the fight between Bella Negra and the black man which was clearly now not going in Bella's favor.

"Right," nodded Shego. She swung the gun hard, smacking the butt of the gun across Kim's temple, knocking her to the ground. "We're leaving!" Shego yelled as she turned and dashed to the van, opening the driver's door. She started the engine then looked back out. "Well?" she said to Junior. "Coming?"

Junior blinked then ran over and climbed in the back.

"Bella!" yelled Shego as she stepped on the gas.

Kim put her hand to her head as she looked up. Bella Negra was getting hit pretty badly but she snaked out of one grapple and then dashed with incredibly speed, leaping over Kim, quickly catching up to the departing van and diving into the back.

A sudden pop echoed through the garage and Kim nearly got hit by a flying grapple coming from the man in black. The heavy hook soared over the cars and crashed through the window of one of the rear doors to the van, catching it firmly. The cord snapped taught and the man hardly flinched as the van veered slightly under the strain before the door ripped off its hinges and clattered to the ground. The van disappeared up the ramp to the next floor where screeches could be heard as it bobbed and weaved between cars.

Kim stood straight and looked back at the man in black who was staring at where the van used to be, confused.

"So what's your story?" asked Kim, tired.

The man in black looked at her once, tipped his head slightly to the side, then turned and fled up the staircase, dropping the grappling gun in the process. Kim sighed and looked around at the carnage. This had clearly gotten out of hand.

Wearily, she walked over to the driver of Junior's limo and checked his vitals. Seeing as his heart was beating and he was still breathing she figured he would be okay. Pulling out her cell phone, she began calling for an ambulance, just in case.

---------( KP )---------

Kim's legs felt like putty as she made the final steps up to her house. It was late again, but not nearly as late as a few nights ago when she came in after midnight. The police had questions for her, as usual, and she did her best to describe what had happened. They didn't seem pleased for some reason, but she guessed they were just anxious because the fight occurred in the parking garage for the courthouse and practically anyone could have been caught in the middle.

Kim had been more concerned at how soundly she had been defeated. It was one thing to get captured when trying to stop one of a villain's plans, but she was attacked, captured, freed, attacked and nearly shot, which was well above and beyond being simply beaten. She underestimated Shego's ability to be resourceful. Somehow she'd prepared for Kim's crashing of her party and had even brought backup. That Bella Negra catwoman.

Also, there was that other guy, the quiet man they called the 'Black Shadow.' They appeared to be against him, and he apparently wasn't interested in Kim at all, but what did that mean? Was he also a hero? A good guy? Or just another villain who was out for blood on Junior or Shego? It was all too confusing.

She probably should have taken Monique with her, as the friend would have come in handy against being ambushed like she was by the catwoman. But Monique wasn't a fighter, there was no way Kim could have protected her in all that.

The worst part of it all was her reaction to Shego's gun. She'd completely lost control of herself for several moments, having to spend all her energy to simply keep herself from collapsing into a pool of terror. Was that how she was going to feel every time she saw a gun now? Was she that weak?

For the first time, Kim entertained the possibility that she was.

Breathing deeply she reached the front door and opened it, hoping to quietly collapse on her bed and sleep through to Sunday.

"Kimmie," Kim's mother said almost immediately after she walked in.

"Hey," said Kim, hanging her head. She was exhausted. "Sorry I'm late, I'm really just going to crawl in to bed and--"

"KP."

Kim froze. She knew that voice and it made her tremble to her bones. She raised her head, slowly bringing up her eyes, reluctant to look out of fear. She couldn't decide if it was fear because it might not be who she thought it was, or fear because it could be. Before she could come to a conclusion, her eyes settled on the guest in the living room.

"R... Ron?" asked Kim.


	4. Episode 3: Forgotten Dreams PART I

------- RECAP -------

Previously on_** Apocolocyntosis**..._

-- KP --

Before they even reached the door, it flung open and Carey could see his mother rushing out to him. Feeling the rush of relief again, Carey started tearing and reached out immediately for the embrace of his mother.

As she was holding him, she looked up to the stranger and started to speak. "What happened to him? Who are--"

She paused, mid-sentence, and Carey looked up to see her frozen in shock. The stranger simply smiled at her and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Stoppable?" asked the woman.

"Hiya, Shego," the stranger replied.

-- KP --

"What time is it?"

"Very nearly five am," said Yori. "We are late for morning exercises."

"Right," said Ron, with a sigh. "Why are you here anyway? You shouldn't be late just because I am."

"_Sansaku no kyuumu_ can be dangerous," said Yori. "I wanted to make sure that you were all right. There are tales of dreamwalkers getting trapped in their dreams. I didn't want that to happen to you, Stoppable-san."

-- KP --

"Yes," nodded Hideyoshi. "She was dedicated, regimented, and never made mistakes, but rarely talked unless prompted. She was well known for her great skill and beauty, but stoic demeanor. We called her Yamanouchi's Iris."

"That's silly," said Ron. "I've never seen her acting that way."

"No, you haven't," said Hirotaka.

Ron blinked. "What do you mean?"

Hirotaka and Hideyoshi looked wearily at him. "I feel bad now," said Hideyoshi. "She's just going to be disappointed."

"We should warn her now," agreed Hirotaka. "I wonder if it's too late."

"W-wait," stammered Ron. "You're saying she's acting differently because of me?"

-- KP --

"Hmm," said Sensei, pulling absently on his beard. "This is troublesome, but not entirely unexpected."

"Sensei?" asked Yori. "You knew Stoppable-san would have trouble retrieving Shego-san?"

"My meditations over the last few weeks have been disturbed," said Sensei. "Something is interrupting them, keeping me from finding my equilibrium. I suspected such an action would have repercussions in our dreamworld, but this confirms it."

-- KP --

"Master Sensei never told me what to do in a situation like this," said Ron. He squinted to see if he could see where the staircase ended, but there was only black. "Though he repeatedly warned me that the dreamscape was dangerous. Maybe this is what he meant."

"A staircase is dangerous?" asked Yori.

"I'm more concerned about where it leads," said Ron. "I think we should leave it alone."

-- KP --

"Who are these people?" asked Ron as she looked at the defeated ninja.

"The Shade," said Yuudai, and Yori gasped.

"The exiles of Yamanouchi?" she asked.

"The same," nodded the teacher. He looked periodically behind him to make sure nobody was approaching. "They are backed by a greater power now, however, organized into a blade. Master Sensei and I have been monitoring their actions closely but didn't predict this attack." He looked away. "We should have."

"Someone has hired the Shade?" asked Yori. She suddenly realized why she'd been asked to do all that research on the group.

"Dominated them is more likely," said Yuudai-sensei. "Their numbers swell faster than we can keep track of and they are backed by a powerful, rich organization."

"What organization?" asked Ron, stepping forward. He was afraid to hear the answer.

"They call themselves SCHEME," he said.

-- KP --

"You were in a coma, Shego," said Kim. "Six months."

"A coma?!" said Shego, getting worked up. She tried to sit upright but felt too weak to do so, so she simply rose her voice. "How did I end up in a coma?"

Kim looked sadly at her. Shego couldn't see her expression clearly but could almost feel the sympathy. "You really don't remember?" she said.

Shego frowned but let herself stop and think. What was the last thing she remembered? There was... something about a ... tank? And... an explosion she caused.

"I blew myself up?" asked Shego, a little confused.

"What?" said Kim. Shego took it from her tone of voice that it wasn't right. But she did remember an explosion. And something else... someone with her?

"You put on the Mantle of Tenoch," said Kim, finally.

-- KP --

And now, the continuation...

----------------

Disney's Kim Possible in

**Apocolocyntosis**

By Adam Leigh

Episode 3:

"Forgotten Dreams"

----------------

PART I

--------- ( KP ) ---------

With a heaving push, the weary and beaten man pulled himself onto the very edge of the vast and wide Chang Tang, leaving the great and tall teeth of the Himalayas behind him at last. The huge region, widely known as "the roof of the world," was largely inaccessible by helicopter even if the young man had any ability to secure such transportation.

Breathing deeply in the thin air, he stared back over the edge down the mountains, admiring the foggy peaks that stretched in rows towards the horizon. To his right, the swiftly setting sun bathed the scene in reds and yellows, giving it all a dreamlike atmosphere.

The brisk breeze caused the man to shiver even though he was covered from head to toe in a thick down coat and lined pants. Cupping his arms around his torso he turned to face the plateau he had finally crested. His eyes were wide as he stared at the vast flatlands. Not far from where he stood were tall columns of blue ice, rising hundreds of feet into the air and scattered randomly across the immediate area.

The man walked forward, almost as if in a trance, and placed his hand on the nearest column. It was ridged, like a stalagmite but with no matching stalactite above it, just the wide open sky.

"Impressive, aren't they?" said an old, grumbling voice. The man looked up in shock as an old man in a long auburn heavy robe with a red trim stepped out from behind another icy column. His face was lined with age but he wore a content smile and a pair of large glasses. "They are from the fissures."

The man frowned and looked up and down the pillar of frozen water. "Fissures?"

The old man nodded. "The same tectonic activity that created these grand mountains also heat the large underground lakes beneath our feet."

The man looked down, nervously, and got onto the tips of his toes. "Beneath us?"

"Great pressure builds from the steam and the water travels upwards looking for a place to escape." The old man motioned to the ground where each of the nearby pillars of ice stood.

"No way," said the young man. "A geyser?"

"Frozen in place because of the freezing cold," nodded the old man.

"Wow," said the man in awe. They both admired the grandeur of nature for several more minutes before the younger one finally realized that the old man had appeared out of practically nowhere. "Do you, um, live around here?" he asked.

"Around," shrugged the old man, still smiling.

"I'm Hog," said the young man. "I'm from America."

"I have no name anymore," said the old man almost whimsically. "Only a title. You may call me Wander."

"Nice to meet you, Wander," nodded Hog. The elder man nodded then looked at him curiously, the edges of his mouth barely turning upwards as if holding back a grin.

Hog looked around once more. He was surrounded by greatness: the incredible Himalayas behind him and these almost reality-defying pillars of ice before him. Save for the cold and thin air, it was almost ideal. He wished he had more time to stay and admire it. "You wouldn't happen to know where I might find a temple around here, would you?"

Wander nodded again, slowly. "I do. It is not far from here, I can take you if you wish."

"I don't want to be any trouble," said Hog.

"I am on my way to Lhasa," said Wander. "It will be on my way."

"Thank you," said Hog and slowly moved between the pillars to approach the old man. "Lead the way."

---------( KP )---------

The walk was not far, as the old man said.

It was _epic_.

Hog had just scaled a portion of the Himalayas over several days, a feat he had planned to brag about one day if he survived, but was starting to reconsider. This walk over persistently changing and rocky terrain was starting to feel much worse. At least his sore knees and swelling feet were insisting as much.

Night had come and gone as they had walked, dragging on Hog with a great fatigue. The old man, however, seemed to keep going, always at the same pace, always smiling. It was inhuman.

"We are here," said Wander finally. He stared up at an impressively long staircase carved carefully into the side of a mountain leading to an ancient looking temple built into the stone. To either side of the staircase the mountain fell off into a vast gulch, as if warning weary travelers that each false step could bring them closer to doom.

"Oh my god," said Hog, looking up at the staircase. "We've got to climb that now?"

"Every great journey is filled with smaller ones," said Wander. "We will be there before sunset."

Hog just fell to his knees and felt like crying. He was a grown man, an adult, and crying was what babies did, but, damn, if he didn't feel like it would be justified at this moment.

"Are we resting?" asked Wander. He came over to sit beside Hog. "We can relax while you get your energy back."

Hog silently thanked him for being patient.

"Why are you traveling so far?" asked Wander. "Is there something at this temple you seek? Or someone?"

"Someone," said Hog. "The great master of my art has come here, and I seek to tutor under him."

"Ah, yes," said Wander. "Many great men have traveled these paths over the years. The incredible height allows us to step away from the concerns and troubles of our lives and consider ourselves and our place in the world in order to achieve enlightenment."

"I hope he will accept me as his student," said Hog. "Or this whole trip will be for nothing." He'd been thinking about it since leaving the US even though he didn't want to. If he wasn't accepted here, there was nothing left for him, so what happened after today wasn't any of his concern.

"You appear to be quite diligent and patient," said Wander. "He would be foolish to turn away such a willing squire."

"Thanks," said Hog, feeling embarrassed by the compliment. "I'm ready now."

"Then we shall go," said Wander, standing again. Hog got back to his feet and they both continued their trek.

---------( KP )---------

Once through the great doors of the temple, Hog was once again impressed. The hall was huge, towering, and much larger than it appeared from the outside. There didn't appear to be many rooms in the place either, as many monks were in this large room placed in rows, each cross-legged, and looking slightly downwards with their eyes closed, deep in meditation.

"Do you see your master?" asked Wander.

Hog peered at the masses, but it only took him a few seconds to locate him. He stood out from the rest of the tanned and bald monks that Hog felt stupid that he hadn't noticed him right away. The master had long blonde hair falling around him, loosely pulled at the end behind his back, and was wide and muscular where most of the monks had been small and frail looking. He stood out like a sore thumb.

"Yes, I do," said Hog. He strode forward purposefully. There was no turning back now, he'd just have to ask and hopefully find out right away whether he had come all this way for nothing.

Standing before him, Hog fell to his knees before the sitting man and clasped his hands together in an act of fealty. "Great master!" he said with reverence. The master opened an eye and looked down at Hog, curiously. "I am Hog," he continued. "I have come all this way from America in search of the greatest motorist ever to grace the black asphalt."

The master opened both eyes so he could then blink. "Seriously?" he said.

"Uh, seriously," repeated Hog, confused. "I am a failure as a motorist. My bike cannot be fixed, and I have lost all hope. I beg you to teach me your wisdom so that I might rise to your lofty heights!"

"Okay, first off, dude," said the master. "We gotta do something about your clothes. They're seriously wrong for crusin'. You look like an Eskimo."

"Er, but it's really cold," pointed out Hog.

"That can't get in the way of your style, dude," insisted the master.

"Teach me, great master," implored the younger man.

"Seriously, enough with the great master stuff," replied the sage. "My name is Motor Ed."

"Motor Ed," repeated Hog, in awe.

"And you've seriously come at the right time," said Ed. "I've just attained enlightenment."

Hog blinked in amazement. "You've gone through a spiritual awakening and become aware of the true nature of the universe?!"

"What?" said Motor Ed. "Nah, man, I'm talking about buildin' the greatest ride ever! The perfect roadster with more power than any before it."

"What, like strapping a supersonic rocket to a pair of wheels?" suggested Hog.

"No way, man, that's like all power and no style," said Motor Ed. "A seriously perfect roadster needs to have an appropriate balance of speed with looks."

"Please! Let me help you construct this great miracle!" implored Hog.

Nodding, Motor Ed pushed off the ground with his large arms, throwing himself back onto his feet. He pointed towards the doorway. "We must go to Middleton!" Then he fell over.

"Master!" panicked Hog, who kneeled beside him.

"It's... Motor Ed," struggled the master.

"What's wrong?"

"My legs fell asleep," said Motor Ed.

---------( KP )---------

Ron stared out of the window of his room at the darkness outside. Since it was February, the mornings were still dark before school and would probably remain that way until March. It used to make Ron feel that much more tired and unmotivated in the morning and he hated it, but today, sitting on his bed at six thirty in the morning, he felt fine. He'd been up for over an hour now and had already showered and gotten dressed and now felt strangely unproductive.

Not that his mind wasn't going at a hundred miles per hour or more.

"Stoppable-san?"

Ron looked up to see Yori peering in from his doorway. "Morning," he waved.

"_Ohayo_," said Yori, the typical Japanese morning greeting. She came in and sat on the chair at Ron's desk. His cretaceous-period computer lay gathering dust beside her as she turned to face the bed. "It seems we are the only ones awake."

"Yeah, my Dad doesn't have to at work until eight-thirty and he typically gets up only thirty minutes before that," said Ron. "Mom usually just gets up at the same time. Did you have everything you needed for your shower?"

Yori nodded, and then considered the domestic implications of their conversation. She had not expected to be in such a situation anytime soon, but meeting Ron's parents had gone well. They were generally pleasant folk, fairly set in their routines but open to a little change.

The cover story Ron had offered placing Yori as a prospective Upperton University student would let her stay at the Stoppables' residence for at least a little while. After that, even the most pleasant of parents would probably start to ask questions. Yori hoped that they wouldn't have to remain away from Yamanouchi for more than a month but the sinking feeling in her gut led her to believe it could be much, much longer.

"It'll be alright," said Ron, sensing her worry. "I'm sure Master Sensei will fix it."

"I wonder if he even knows," said Yori. "He was away at the time of the attack and he doesn't carry a cell phone." Yori looked casually away. "If he's still being prevented from meditating, he might not be able to astrally project either."

"Astral..." struggled Ron. Then he realized. "Oh that ghost-y thing he did to warn me about DNAmy that one time!"

Yori nodded again, then looked down. "I hope Yuudai-Sensei finds him quickly. If the Shade attacked Yamanouchi, Master Sensei may be in even greater danger."

Ron moved to the corner of the bed and reached out to hold Yori's hand reassuringly. "I'm sure he'll be fine," he said with a nod. "He's tough."

With a small smile, Yori nodded. Her eyes casually drifted over their clasped hands and she felt flushed. She casually let her hand slip out of his grip, but worried it looked forced.

"Are you going to your school today?" asked Yori quickly to cover her awkwardness.

"Yup. There's not a lot of point to it, though, I've missed so much of the year I imagine I'll be in classes all summer just to graduate." Ron sighed and leaned back on his bed. "Then there's the matter that I haven't applied to any schools and the application deadline for many has already passed." He turned his head to look at Yori. "I guess I won't be going to college right away."

Yori tilted her head. "Did you expect to?" she asked.

"I guess not," shrugged Ron. "I don't know, I didn't really think about it."

"You came to Yamanouchi for six months and didn't think about the impact it would have on your life?" said Yori, surprised.

"Not really," said Ron. "I mean, these sorts of things just usually work out in the end for me."

Yori laughed lightly. "That is very American of you, Stoppable-san," she said.

"I guess," said Ron, staring up at the ceiling.

The heat in Yori's cheeks grew more intense. "You will always have a place in Japan, if you want," she said.

"Thanks," said Ron cheerily, without looking Yori's way. He put his arms behind his head. "I'll probably have to come to help rebuild anyway, right?"

Yori looked down but still felt like smiling a little. "Yes, it would be your honor to help rebuild the school."

Ron laughed.

---------( KP )---------

Monique watched as Kim walked through the school with more than a few odd glances down each hallway and classroom before reaching her locker.

"Okay, new kinds of weird going on here," said Monique, leaning on the bank of lockers and raising an eyebrow. "Are you trying to avoid Ron?"

"I'm not _trying_ to..." started Kim, then abandoned any hope of talking and simply opened her locker.

"Nice one," said Monique. "Seriously, girlfriend, you need to talk to him."

"And say what?" asked Kim, digging around the rather large computer stuffed in her locker to find her history textbook. The stack of papers on top of the monitor suddenly fell behind the large screen and a plume of dust surged out into Kim's face. "Augh!"

Kim staggered back and coughed several times, waving her hand to clear the air. "This is such a pain! Why do I even have this thing in here anymore?" She gestured wildly at the computer.

Monique frowned and spoke softly. "Because you're still hoping Wade is going to call you."

Kim sighed and slumped, walking dutifully back towards the locker. She reached to the left of the computer and fumbled around until she felt the rough surface of her history book and pulled it out. She stared at the worn book intensely. "I shouldn't have given up looking for him," she said finally.

"You searched for a long time," said Monique.

"Not long enough," Kim shook her head. "I didn't find him."

"He's a smart kid. If he didn't want to be found I'm not sure if anyone could find him."

Kim tucked her book under her arm. "I still shouldn't have given up," she said, then slammed her locker shut a little more forcefully than she intended. Several students in the hall looked towards her and she felt embarrassed.

Then she noticed Ron stepping into the hall and looking to see what everyone else was staring at. After only a moment their eyes met.

Then Kim turned away and headed off towards her first class.

Ron walked slowly over to where Kim had been and looked at Monique, who just gazed back with a strange mixture of sympathy and anger.

"Long time no see?" attempted Ron, waving weakly.

"It's good to see you're still alive," Monique said neutrally, then left to follow Kim.

Ron lowered his eyes then went to go open his locker. After putting in his combination he pulled on the door only to encounter some resistance. He frowned and pulled a little harder. Just as he was about to put his leg on the lower lockers to get leverage the door finally swung open exposing a thick nest of spider webs. A second later a large throng of spiders spilled out of the locker and started crawling away.

"Eeuuaack!" yelped Ron as he jumped back to evade the swarm. That was when the rest of the students in the hall noticed and started running and screaming in panic.

Then someone pulled a fire alarm and the rest of the school joined in the chaos.

---------( KP )---------

The gray gelatinous mass on his plate quivered ominously at Ron who blanched and slowly pushed his tray back. He'd seen enough non-human things moving of their own volition today and actually started to miss the lunch lines at Yamanouchi. Sure, there was only about a 30 percent chance he'd get ANY lunch, but at least the sushi was delectable.

"The rumors are true!"

Ron looked up from his plate to see Felix Renton cart up in his cyber-robotic wheelchair with a tray containing a hamburger and some fries. Nobody was quite certain what sort of 'meat' was in the hamburgers at the cafeteria, given the unknown components of all the other food served, but if you closed your eyes and tried not to think about it, it could pass for a Cow And Chow burger on a slow day. Ron tried not to think about how he knew more about the innards of Felix's robotic wheelchair than he did about his lunch.

"Felix!" said Ron, burying his melancholy and giving his friend a high-five. "What's been happening?"

"Today or for the last half-year?" asked Felix.

"You can start with today and work your way backwards if it helps," offered Ron.

"I think I'll just hit on the highlights," said Felix. "We don't have a whole season for this discussion, I figure we have barely an episode."

"Uh," Ron blinked, then looked around suspiciously. "Okay."

"It's a joke, Ron-man," said Felix.

"Oh, yeah--right, yeah, I knew that," said Ron.

"Wow, you haven't changed much at all."

"Really?" asked Ron, hopefully.

"You're happy about that?" said Felix. "I thought you ran off to improve your chi or something. Kim said something about yoga training or rhythmic gymnastics."

Ron stared blankly.

"Still joking," said Felix.

"Oh," said Ron. "I did, actually, go to train to be a better fighter."

"Did it work?" asked Felix, excitedly. "Do you know mad gun-kata or kung fu?"

"Well, I'm pretty sore," Ron rubbed his shoulder. "And gun-kata wasn't exactly on the curriculum."

"Figures, but how often would you get to use it anyway?"

"I dunno, Chow Yun Fat seems to get a lot of use of it," commented Ron, absently.

"So what was it like?" asked Felix. "The training."

"Pretty intense," said Ron. "I learned a lot, but I'm not nearly done yet."

"Oh, so you're just back for, like, a vacation?"

"No... not exactly."

Felix raised an eyebrow at the cryptic response. "You didn't get kicked out, did you?"

"Huh? W-what? No!" insisted Ron. "Well, not kicked out as in flunked... no wait, what did you mean?"

"Wow," blinked Felix. "Is there something you're not telling me Ron-man?"

Ron frowned. "Something I can't tell you, actually." He looked around suspiciously. "I'd like to, but... I'm not allowed."

"Some secret ninja tradition or something?" laughed Felix.

Ron blanched.

Felix's eyes went wide. "Dude, were you training with ninja?" he said, in awe.

"I can't talk about it," Ron said stiffly.

"Riiiight," nodded Felix knowingly. He nudged Ron with his elbow. "You were just on vacation, no ninja training at all."

Ron buried his head in his hands. "I suck at keeping secrets," he groaned.

Felix patted his friend on the back. "I won't say anything," he said.

"I know," said Ron. He looked up. "But it's the spirit of the thing."

"Why don't we talk about something else?"

Ron nodded. "How has..." he hesitated. "How has Kim been?"

"Kim?" asked Felix. "You haven't talked to her?"

"I've... tried," Ron admitted. "But she wouldn't."

"Ooh... that's bad," said Felix. "You think she's angry with you?"

"Yes, but I don't know why," said Ron. "I came back! Why isn't she glad to see me?"

"Well, you were gone for six months," said Felix. "Maybe she's a little annoyed you left without her."

"I couldn't take her to Yam-- err... I had to go alone," Ron said, catching himself. "Anyway, I did it to help her! To be a better partner instead of a burden."

"I take it you just left without talking to her first," said Felix.

"She was in the hospital because..." Ron shivered. It still bothered him, the memory of seeing Kim on the floor, bleeding out of her chest. The terror that she might have been dead or dying haunted him throughout his time at Yamanouchi. "I couldn't protect her," he finally said. "I couldn't have talked to her first."

"Ron," Felix said sympathetically. "Have you ever considered that she doesn't want to be protected?"

"She didn't want to be shot!" Ron said defiantly. Felix flinched at the sudden passion in his eyes and wondered if this was a safe conversation to have in such a public place.

After several seconds of letting Ron calm down, Felix slowly continued, "I know that. And I know you two do fight to protect each other, but it's a dangerous business what you do. Sometimes, even the best fighter gets hurt."

"Not Kim," Ron said firmly.

"Apparently she can," said Felix. "Or she wouldn't have been in the hospital at all."

Ron scowled and then stood, suddenly. "It's my fault that happened," he said, then walked away.

Felix rubbed his chin in thought. Beside him Ron's abandoned lunch quivered sympathetically.

---------( KP )---------

Motor Ed was fiddling with the disassembled pieces of the engine for Hog's previously-declared 'dead' bike when the owner strode into the garage, a broad smile on his chiseled face. Motor Ed turned to look at him and the three guys and one gal that had assembled behind him in their hideout.

"Master!" said Hog.

"Seriously, dude," said Motor Ed, motioning at Hog with a wrench. "It's 'Motor Ed.' Say it with me, everyone."

The crowd recited his name in unison, including Hog.

"This is our crew," Hog said enthusiastically. He motioned to the newcomers. "This is Jig, Axel, Brick, and Dorothy." They were all dressed in leathers and jeans with slicked hair of various colors and styles.

"Dorothy?" said Motor Ed, looking at the woman with a raised brow. "That doesn't sound very thrashing."

"I was named after my mother," said the man on the opposite end of the row from the woman. Motor Ed looked at him with wide eyes and Dorothy looked sheepishly down. "She was very hardcore."

"..." said Motor Ed. He then turned his head to look at the tall, muscular woman with green hair cut in a mullet. "So which one are you?"

"Jig," spat the woman as she chewed some gum. "You got a problem wit' 'dat?"

"Where you from, babe?" asked Motor Ed.

"Jersey City," said Jig.

Motor Ed nodded appraisingly. "This is a rad crew," he said to Hog. "And these digs are perfect for our project."

Hog glowed. "Thank you, Master!" Motor Ed waved his wrench at him again. "Uh, I mean, Master Motor Ed."

Brick raised his hand.

"What is it, dude?" asked Motor Ed.

"Is this, like, an accredited vehicle service center?" asked Brick.

Motor Ed looked to Hog who just shrugged. "I dunno. I don't think so," said Motor Ed.

"'Cause, I totally need to get some co-op credit for my associate's degree," said Brick.

"What school are you going to?" asked Dorothy.

"Middleton Community," said Brick.

"Hey, I went there!" Dorothy said. "Well, before they kicked me out," he added sheepishly.

"What do you have to do to get accredited?" asked Hog.

"I think you just have to be like recognized by someone or something," said Brick.

"Well, I recognize 'dis place," said Jig.

"Nah, you gotta get it from someone with a license," Brick shook his head.

"I've got a driver's license," said Jig. "How's 'dat?"

"Maybe?" said Brick.

"We should look it up on the internet," suggested Hog.

"Good idea!" said Dorothy. He led the crew to the local library to use their computers.

---------( KP )---------

Kim sat in the drama club's green room and ate her salad quietly while she read up for her Latin test this afternoon. She was about halfway through her review material when the door to the stage opened and Zita and Malcolm walked in and looked surprised.

"Kim," said Malcolm in shock then quickly covered that with a wan smile.

"First I couldn't get you to come here at all and now you're showing up randomly, huh?" said Zita, smirking.

"Hey Zita, Malcolm," said Kim looking up briefly. "I ... just needed a quiet place to study. Midterms, you know."

Zita nodded slowly but Malcolm strode forward confidently. "Yeah, but they're the last ones we'll ever have to take here," he said. "What are you studying?"

"Latin IV," said Kim, then took another bite of her salad. "Mrs. Growdecker."

"I have her for Latin IV as well," said Malcolm suddenly. He moved closer. "Do you need any help? I kinda know this stuff backwards and forwards."

"Hey, Mal," said Zita suddenly. "I need to grab something from the stock room, I'll see you later."

"Yeah, sure," waved Malcolm without turning away from Kim. Zita smiled wider and left.

"Use a lot of Latin at home or something?" said Kim, skeptically.

"Er, no... actually, it's used a lot in Everlot and RPGs," admitted Malcolm meekly. "I've been studying it since I was about nine."

"Wow," said Kim, impressed. "I guess this stuff is easy for you then."

"A little," said Malcolm. "But I'm still learning. It's not exactly something you get to use every day, unless you count romance languages by extension."

"Ah," nodded Kim, who absently looked back at her textbook.

"So..." started Malcolm. "Do you want me to quiz you or something?"

"I suppose," said Kim, handing over the book. "It's the stuff between the bookmarks--- oh, I guess you already know that."

"Yeah, same teacher and all," said Malcolm, paging slowly through the chapters for some question to ask. He bit his lip as he skimmed the book, his mind on fire. They were essentially on an impromptu study date! Well, maybe not, since they were in school still... and she had a boyfriend... oh, and she wasn't dating him at all right now. But, taking from an odd angle, it might conceivably be construed to imply a certain possible relationship that wasn't far from being confused for a study date!

Malcolm mentally slapped himself and looked up just in time to hear Kim sigh into her salad.

"You okay?" asked Malcolm.

"Yeah, just... got other stuff on my mind," Kim admitted.

"Anyway I can do to help?" asked Malcolm.

Kim shook her head. "Not unless you can reverse time, instantly locate missing people, and alter the course of human events on a whim."

"Wow," said Malcolm. "Nearly could have helped you there. I can travel in time, find people, and change history but I just can't do it on a whim. Man, that's hard work."

Kim stared for a second then started to laugh which caused Malcolm to smile kindly. "Okay," Kim said. "Sorry for going all dramatic there."

"It's okay," said Malcolm. "I know you lead a ... complicated life."

"It's not really all that complicated," said Kim. "Somebody tells me something's wrong or I hear it on the news and I fly out there and try to help."

"You may find it simple, but I couldn't do that," said Malcolm.

"Sure you could," said Kim. "All you do is react. Put others' wellbeing before your own." Kim looked distant. "Or at least one person's wellbeing."

Malcolm hesitated. "One person?" Kim looked back at him but he continued, "Are you... talking about Ron?"

Kim bit her lip. "Not particularly," she said.

"But he's the reason you're hiding in here rather than being in the cafeteria where I've seen you ever other day this year?"

"I'm not hiding!" snapped Kim. Malcolm flinched instinctively at her sharp voice. After a second, however, Kim seemed to calm. "All right, I am hiding. Is it really that obvious?"

"Probably just to me and Zita, but that's only because you're hiding so expertly." Malcolm smiled.

"You probably think I'm being stupid," said Kim, then added, "_I_ think I'm being stupid."

"I wouldn't say that." Malcolm shrugged. "He was gone a very long time. People sometimes change. Who knows what's happened to him?"

Kim waved her hand dismissively. "That's not it," she said.

"Then what?"

"It's..." Kim struggled for the words that hadn't been coming to her for the last three days. She went back and forth between phrases and colloquialisms and words that just didn't seem right until... "_Unfair!_"

Malcolm's eyes widened. "Unfair?" he asked quizzically.

"He probably doesn't even understand why I'm upset!" said Kim, getting animated. "Everything makes sense in his mind, there's no conflict, no worrying about consequences. He convinced himself he had to do this thing and went and did it!" Kim growled in frustration.

"Isn't that who he is?" said Malcolm. "I've never viewed him as particularly pragmatic."

"But... I don't have that conviction," Kim said weakly.

Malcolm suddenly nodded. "It's unfair because he never thinks to question himself and you can't make yourself stop."

"YES!" Kim stood suddenly, then froze and collapsed in her chair. "Oh my god! That makes me an awful person," she said, burying her face in her hands.

Malcolm just scoffed. "No it doesn't," he said. "It makes you somewhat normal."

"A normal awful person," pouted Kim.

Malcolm shook his head. "You got to talk to him about this," he said before he could stop himself. "He's certainly not going to understand just by you avoiding him."

"You think so?" Kim looked up slowly.

_No_, Malcolm thought. _I think you should let your feelings fester until you officially break up and give me a chance to date you!_ "Yes," he said instead. "He might not be as oblivious to your conflict as you thought. But unless you talk, you'll never know."

Kim stared off for several moments. "I haven't even welcomed him back," she said suddenly.

"Why don't you start with that, then," suggested Malcolm. "Hey, and invite him to try out for drama while you're at it. We need several more extras." _What am I saying? I don't want him hanging around while I try to woo his girlfriend!_

Kim laughed then rubbed her eyes as she chuckled. Then she turned towards Malcolm and presented a smile as warm as the sun. "Thank you," she said softly.

Malcolm could only smile dumbly back. "Hey, I can't have our star performer become a wreck before we even start rehearsals."

Kim laughed briefly then began to gather her things. "I'm going to see if I can find him."

"Well, I wish you all the luck in the world," said Malcolm. His mind was screaming furiously at him about something but he'd largely tuned it out now to stare at Kim's cute smile.

After stuffing everything in her bag Kim started to head for the door but only got two steps before stopping and turning back. "Really," she said. "Thank you for making me talk about this. It helped."

"No problem," said Malcolm.

"I'm sorry we never got to hang out earlier, you're really nice."

"Well, I did trap two of your friends in a virtual reality prison while attempting to take over a electronic medieval world," said Malcolm. _What the hell did I just say?_ He thought. "That tends to start things off on the wrong foot."

"Well, you're a long ways away from that guy now," said Kim confidently. Then she stepped towards him and briefly, ever so slightly, kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks again," she said then turned finally left.

It was at least five minutes before Malcolm was able to think clearly again and even then the only thought from his brain was: _My god, you have the luck of the devil!_

---------( KP )---------

"Oh," said Mrs. Stoppable as she walked past Ron's room. "Yori. I didn't even know you were up here. You're as quiet as a ghost."

Yori stood up from the desk and bowed respectfully. "Sorry to surprise you," she said. "I was trying not to disturb anyone."

"It's no bother," said Ms. Stoppable. "You're our guest. You don't have to keep yourself bottled-up here. Come on downstairs, I was just about to fix some lunch."

"Thank you," said Yori. She looked disdainfully at the computer then followed the elder woman out of the room.

"I would have thought you would be out looking at schools," said Ms. Stoppable as the entered the kitchen. "Do you need a guide?"

"I did not schedule any interviews today in case my flight was delayed," said Yori, reciting her cover story. "I should be fine on my own tomorrow."

"Well, don't be afraid to ask, I can always take some time to help out a friend of Ronald's."

Yori nodded and watched as Ms. Stoppable prepared several sandwiches, stopping occasionally to query Yori on her preferences for bread, meat, cheese, and condiments.

"So," said Ms. Possible as she placed the plates with sandwiches on the table. "How have you liked America so far?" She began rummaging through cabinets as she talked.

"It is quite different than Japan," said Yori. "Although, I have been here before."

"That's good." After a few seconds, Ms. Stoppable returned to the table with a bag of potato chips and placed a few on Yori's and her own plate. "So how did you meet Ronald?"

"We met through... the exchange program with his school a couple years back," said Yori. Best stick to the facts. She wasn't sure how much Ron had told his parents.

"Really?" said Ms. Stoppable. "He hadn't mentioned making any friends." She sat at the table and nodded to herself. "That's good. Sometimes I worry about that boy. If it wasn't for Kimberly, sometimes I think he wouldn't have any friends."

"Ron-san is quite friendly," affirmed Yori. "And a very capable fighter. It is not surprising that Kim-san relies on him as much as she does."

"Well, I'm not sure how much I approve of those little adventures they have, but if it gets him out of the house, I'll tolerate a little danger." Ms. Stoppable appeared slightly uncomfortable.

"If you don't approve of his missions, why did you let him come to Japan to train?" asked Yori, confused.

Ms. Stoppable darkened. "He didn't ASK me," she said, sharply. "His _father_ approved his trip."

"Oh," said Yori, starting to study the exits.

"But if this training will keep him from getting hurt like Kimberly, then it's just as well," Ms. Stoppable softened ever so slightly at the end.

"I see," said Yori. She was confused. Ms. Stoppable seemed to flip-flop back and forth between caring and a somewhat ambivalent attitude regarding her son. She figured it was better not to press the issue. "I need to look something up on the internet, but, Ron-san's computer is... uh, time consuming to use. Is there another one somewhere I might use?"

"Not in the house, but you could try the library," suggested Ms. Stoppable. "Do you want me to give you a ride?"

"That would be most kind of you."

---------( KP )---------

Middleton High offered about as much flexibility for wandering the halls during class periods as Nazi concentration camps did for taking a leisurely stroll outside the gates. The formal rule was students were allowed in the halls during class 'with escort or pass only,' and the informal addendum was 'if hall monitors are in a good mood.'

Ron had never been all too successful with the addendum, as nine times out of ten whenever he was in the halls he'd run into Barkin, who just about always assumed he was up to no good. How Barkin had developed a sixth sense for Ron being in questionable situations was anyone's guess, but he certainly came across as being omniscient in that regard.

Of course, that was before Ron had spent six months in a ninja training school learning to be -- among other things -- stealthy. He stunned himself as he glided through the halls, listening for the sounds of footsteps and slipping between empty rooms and closets. He'd never done this well in class, it was almost as if being away from Yamanouchi seemed to increase his abilities. He wondered if he'd become a super-ninja.

"Stoppable," a sharp voice suddenly said below him. Ron looked down slowly. Mr. Barkin was standing below him. Ron had jumped up to wedge himself close to the ceiling by placing one foot on each wall of a narrow corridor. It had worked well at keeping him out of sight from the other hall monitors. Apparently it had not worked as well with Mr. Barkin. "What are you doing up there?" Barkin asked in a tired voice.

"Er..." started Ron. "Well, you see, Mr. Barkin... I ... er... couldn't help but notice there were some cobwebs up here. Aheh. You know how the janitorial staff gets around here. Just thought I'd do my civic duty and give 'em a hand."

"Uh-huh," Barkin said, not buying it. "What are you using to clean away those cobwebs, then?"

"Um," Ron looked around. "My hands?"

"Get down."

"Yessir."

Ron dropped to the floor deftly, making barely a noise. He stood up straight before Mr. Barkin.

"Look, Stoppable," started the teacher. "I understand you have been away in Japan for a while now and you may have forgotten our strange and foreign ways, but under no circumstances do I expect to see you _climbing the walls_. Do you understand me?"

Ron nodded. "Yes, Mr. Barkin."

"Now tell me really why you're mimicking a spider," asked Barkin.

Ron stuck his hands in his pockets and looked away.

"Ah, girl trouble," concluded Barkin.

"Eh? What?" asked Ron. "Who, me? Aheh... naw.. you know Mr. B, I'm ... uh... always smooth with the ladies."

Barkin raised an eyebrow. "Right," he said skeptically. "Listen, Stoppable, while the closest I've been to a relationship in the last three years involved genetic manipulation -- which, if it hasn't happened to you yet, let me say that's a nightmare worth avoiding at all costs."

"Noted," nodded Ron.

"There have always been three rules to successful high school dating." Barkin counted off his fingers. "One, your lunch and lunch hour belongs to them, two, always keep in your mind _to the hour_ how long you've been dating in case of a pop quiz and three, chocolate and flowers must accompany every apology." He paused for a moment. "As your teacher, I'd also have to add a fourth rule, never let your dating affect your class work."

"Gee, thanks Mr. Barkin," said Ron, unsure how of much of that advice was worth following."

"Don't mention it, Stoppable," nodded Barkin. "Now either go back to the cafeteria or to the library right away or we'll be celebrating your return after school in detention."

"Yes, sir," said Ron, nodding quickly. He turned and headed for the library, figuring at least there he could vanish between the stacks if he needed to keep out of sight for the rest of the period. He could hear Barkin shadowing him halfway down the hallway and sighed. Maybe it wasn't such a mystery how Barkin kept catching him, after all. When Ron finally made it to the library, was when he heard the distant footstep stop.

The library was a fairly large facility in the school, consisting of a single large rectangular room with stacks of books on one side, and a circular checkout/admin desk nestled between clusters of study desks and tables. Most of the desks and tables were vacant but enough were filled that Ron began to wonder if this was a good idea after all.

He scanned the room quick and caught the eye of Ms. Hatchett, who was staring back ominously. Ron blinked and shrugged. "What?" he asked. Ms. Hatchett beckoned him towards her. Shuffling up to the desk, Ron reiterated his question only to have Ms. Hatchett lean in close to him.

"This is a library, not a gallery," she said in her crass manner of speaking. "If you're not going to read something or sit and study I ask you to leave."

"Ah, right," nodded Ron. He then made his way into the stacks to start looking for something to pretend to read and keep the bespectacled warden off his back. He'd just made his way through the history section when he heard the soft voice.

"Ron?"

Ron blinked and turned to see Zita Flores standing before him. His mind rattled briefly in panic. There were many things about his pursuit of this beauty two years earlier that were particularly embarrassing to Ron, not the least of which were his blatant lies about his talent in a game called _Everlot_ that nearly lead to them both being trapped in a virtual reality prison for all eternity. In the two years since, Ron hadn't spent as much time talking to Zita as he did avoiding what he assumed to be an accusatory gaze.

Here, in the tall stacks of the library, with Barkin patrolling the halls, and Hatchett's eagle eye and ears nearby, he struggled in vain to think of any non-humiliating escape plan. "Hey... Zita," he managed.

"He lives," said Zita with an upturned mouth. "I'd heard you came back but I wanted to see it with my own eyes to be sure."

"How's it going?" asked Ron. He searched his brain for any tidbit of information to use as small talk. "I heard you got into drama."

"I did, though I'd been in the drama club since last year before you vanished," said Zita with a smirk. "Nice try though."

"Sorry," admitted Ron. "I've been caught up in... a number of things." He berated himself internally at how lame that sounded. She was a nice girl and he had avoided her like the plague for no reason other than not to look foolish, something he managed to accomplish every day regardless.

"So where've you been?" Zita continued on, thankfully ignoring Ron's excuse. "Six months is quite a vacation."

"It wasn't a vacation," said Ron, defensively. "It was... training."

"Training?" Zita seemed somewhat surprised, then returned to her smirk. "Trying to be a better support character for your heroine?" She was starting to smile when she suddenly froze and any mirth on her face vanished in a flash. "Oh, god. You left because she got hurt."

Every one of Ron's decisions in the last year flashed before his eyes and he turned away to protect himself. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Sure," Zita said softly. "Sorry about that. It's not my business. We're not that close anyway." Her last sentence seemed almost sad and Ron forced himself to turn around again.

At Yamanouchi, Sensei stressed in the philosophy lessons he gave to the ninja-in-training that every event, encounter, and experience was interconnected. To train the body to fight, was only a small part of the development of a capable and honorable warrior. To truly become a Yamanouchi ninja, he had to integrate his lessons into everyday life. Which was not to say he should bring out his fists in order to defeat a math test, but that he had to train his mind to look for the same tendencies, influences, and weaknesses in his opponent and himself as he did when wielding a bo.

Ron had long trained himself to avoid injury. Whether it was running from a blade-wielding henchman or wrapping his shortcomings in over-the-top comedic antics, he always did what he could to distance himself from pain. When he forced himself to recognize that his constant attempts to avoid injury were driving away someone he cared about deeply, he made the first steps towards trying to change, and admitted his feelings to Kim. He was rewarded by them becoming a couple.

With her by his side, though, he was able to revert slightly, because his immediate goal had been accomplished. He no longer felt that Kim was drifting away from him. They had a summer filled with the intoxicating joy of firsts: first kiss; first date; first late night talking about things other than villains, zombies, or naco toppings; first vacation trip as a couple.

Then they had their first Gemini attack in nearly two years and Ron tried to use his ill-practiced confidence to protect his girlfriend for the first time. He experienced his first failure to do so, and in the pain of seeing Kim suffer like that, he returned to his roots and fled. He ran far from the pain and the results of his actions to the other side of the world. Sensei knew what he had done without Ron telling him, but he still took him in and offered him a chance to reverse his lifetime of pursuit of the perfect escape; to train him to face his faults and draw strength from them.

Standing here, now, before Zita, Ron realized how hard that would be. "Listen, Zita," Ron started, swallowing his pride and facing his mistake. "I'm sorry about lying about my Everlot ability back then. I was really trying to impress you and felt like I had to be good at the same things you were to do it. Since it ended up getting us in trouble and nearly trapped in the game I figured you wouldn't walk to talk to me anymore, but it occurs to me that I never really apologized for that mess." He resisted his urge to shrug and visually downplay what he was doing. "So... yeah, like I said: I'm sorry."

He looked for any sign of anger or annoyance from her but instead all he could see at first was surprise. After a moment or two, however, it melted into a small, barely contained smile.

"You've been worried about that for two years?" she asked lightly.

"Well... not the whole time," said Ron, looking evasive. "I do get distracted easily."

Zita laughed briefly, then looked back over at Ron and laughed again. Then, to his surprise, she stepped swiftly up to him, put her hand on his neck, and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "You're cute," she said simply. Just as quickly she stepped away and grabbed a book off the shelf and slipped out of the stacks.

"Hey!" said Ron starting to follow. He got two steps out before running right into Ms. Hatchett who stared down at him like he was an ant.

"Keep your voice down," she scolded. "This is a _library_!"

Ron looked uneasy then said, "Yes, sorry."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked, sternly.

Ron looked around then reached over to the nearest shelf and grabbed a random book. "Oh, yeah! Yup, um... got it right here." Ron glanced at the title of the book. "Err... the Early History of Lower Briton Before And After The Fall of Rome..." He blinked. "Right, love those Britons, you know," he said. "And those Romans."

"Please read your book in quiet," said Ms. Hatchett with a tired look. Before Ron could answer she turned and headed back to her desk. Ron sighed now that he was out of the spotlight and glanced around the library. Zita was sitting at one of the tables with her book open to a random place and giggling silently at him. She motioned for him to join her.

Ron walked over and sat down at the table. He looked the book she picked out and then looked up at her smiling face. "You're holding your book upside down," he pointed out.

"SHHHH!" Ms. Hatchett hissed like a snake from her desk.

Ron smiled and nodded. "Sorry," he called quietly, then opened his book. Zita discretely turned her own book around and flipped back to the beginning, apparently to take a more serious read. Ron blanched at the title of his own book and reluctantly began paging through it, hoping for some pretty pictures.

---------( KP )---------

Kim, generally speaking, did not have nearly as much trouble moving through the halls as Ron did, as not only did Barkin have only a casual interest in her mischief but most other teachers and hall monitors were fairly lenient for one of their higher performing students. Sure, Kim was never going to be valedictorian, but her ability to keep her grades up while continuing her public campaign as a teen superhero tended to encourage people to give her a break on the simple things.

None of that, however, was currently helping her find Ron, whom she heard from Felix had left the cafeteria not very long ago for a destination unknown. Kim checked the study halls and the locker sections for any sign of him and was starting to think that despite Ron's resistance to studying he might actually be in the library. She paused by the door to hear any commotion then quietly slipped in when she heard none. Ms. Hatchett was notorious for running her library like a prison camp and if Ron wasn't around, it was better for Kim not to be seen at all or she might be forced to stay until the next bell.

Moving between the tall stacks, Kim quietly walked around, taking quick peeks between the shelves that were most hidden from Ms. Hatchett's view, figuring Ron would almost certainly be hiding there. While she moved between rows, however, she glanced towards the desk areas just in case he had found something worth reading.

It was during one of these glances that she saw him, sitting at a table by the window, holding a rather thick book that Kim couldn't make out. But she could easily see him holding up a page for Zita Flores, who was sitting across from him, and trying desperately to hold back laughter for fear of Hatchett's wraith. Ron himself was also smiling wildly as he spoke so quietly Kim, from across the room, couldn't hear a word. It seemed to be funny, however, because Zita covered her mouth again to hide her grin.

Kim felt a strange, heavy weight in her chest as she viewed the scene. Her insides twisted and made her so nauseous she put a hand on a nearby shelf to keep her balance.

_He's just talking to her_, she thought to herself. _So not the drama. Just because I ignored him earlier doesn't mean he ran off to someone else. That's just silly. That just happens in sitcoms, not real life._

She nodded to herself confidently, but still turned and quietly left the library.


	5. Episode 3: Forgotten Dreams PART II

----------------

Disney's Kim Possible in

**Apocolocyntosis**

By Adam Leigh

Episode 3:

"Forgotten Dreams"

----------------

PART II

---------( KP )---------

Yori was not the most computer savvy individual, as a vast majority of her life was lived without the so-called 'comfort' of advanced technology. Back at Yamanouchi, her training and studies filled most of her time, with the occasional trips down the mountain giving her a glimpse of what common life was like. During those trips she had made it a point to become somewhat at ease with computers, seeing as they were the primary means of communication on the planet now and she felt it would be foolish to ignore them completely. Still, there was much she did not understand about their complexities and figured she never would.

The internet search, however, was one thing she'd worked hard to be good at, and had the helpful eye of Hirotaka to guide her in learning. Hirotaka, while a Yamanouchi student since birth, had spent a lot of time studying American culture and there was little else iconic about their ways these days than their adoption of communication technology. Thankfully, he did not have to travel farther than Nagano to get exposed to it, and he claimed to have spent a lot of his free time in something called 'internet cafes.'

Which is why Yori was quite surprised she could not uncover anything about what happened at Yamanouchi last week on the internet. She was quite sure she was searching properly, and even the local news said nothing about the massive attack and subsequent fire that dominated the mountain tops. How could that battle have been hidden entirely from public view? Yamanouchi students and teachers were quite adept at vanishing in plain day with no cover, but this went far beyond anything she'd ever heard of before. Not to mention, according to Yuudai-sensei, everyone was fleeing, there shouldn't have been anyone left to hide the evidence.

While Yori pondered this mystery, she couldn't help but notice the commotion going on at a nearby terminal. Five burly, muscular men in leather jackets and one woman with strikingly bright-green hair, were huddled around a desk looking something up on the internet, apparently with little success. Many of the people in the library had moved as far as possible from the group, expecting a biker gang brawl to break out at any second. Yori hadn't made much of an effort to get out of the way as she could easily read their body language to tell that they had little intention of fighting. In fact, most of them seemed to emanate childlike curiosity at the surroundings, as if they'd never been in a library before.

"Seriously, dude," said the most beefy of the men, the one with the long blonde hair. The others in the group seemed to be deferent towards him, marking him as the leader. He also appeared to be the least impressed by the library itself. "Just search for 'accreditation,' then pick through the results."

"Wait, wait, I've got it," said the slightly slimmer man who seemed more athletic than purely muscular. He had shorter, dark hair that was slightly fussed, and was wearing a loop earring on one ear. He typed quickly at the computer. "I think accreditation is government regulated. Let me see if the Department of Education has anything."

"Just use the online encyclopedia," said the tall, green-haired woman. "It's got everything on it."

"I wouldn't," said another man who was slightly more rotund and less muscular. He had a pug face and auburn hair. "All the answers I took from there in college ended up being wrong."

The blonde haired man looked towards the member of the group standing furthest in the back, who was slightly taller and a little less muscular than the leader, but with a shaved head and a pair of dark sunglasses. "What do you think, Axel?" asked the leader of the group.

The man named Axel just shrugged, and then pointed at the last member of the group, the youngest of the team, with shorter blonde hair and slightly tanned skin wearing a white shirt under his black leathers. The last member of the group looked somewhat surprised and replied, "Hey, just because it's my school doesn't mean I know what it all means."

The leader sighed then looked back towards the screen. "I think we'll just have to say no -- provisionally -- and find out later."

Yori stared briefly at the young one in the group with the short blonde hair and felt something tickling the back of her mind. Somehow she felt he looked familiar.

"Well, I may have to find another shop if I can't get college credit, man," said the young blonde to the leader. "My mom is really serious about this associate's degree thing. She could cut me off if I don't do what she wants."

The leader patted the younger member on the back assuredly. "Don't sweat it, Brick, I'll work something out with your college. Besides when our roadster breaks the land speed record you'll be famous and it won't matter!"

The memory clicked in Yori's head and she remembered where she'd seen the young man with blonde hair before. It was in the dreamscape. Ron had taken them into his dream, the one with the school supplies endlessly chasing him around his house. Ron had said the boy was his former classmate, having graduated the year before. His name was Brick Flagg.

Yori felt compelled to say hello to an old classmate of Ron's but restrained herself, unsure of what it would accomplish. She tried to conceive of a cover for having dove into the boy's dreams, possibly uncovering one of his most primal fears. She could think of nothing that would reveal either Yamanouchi or details of her ninja training. Instead she forced herself to look back at her own screen and say nothing. She was here to hide, after all, it didn't do to go introducing herself to everyone she met.

A few minutes later, the leader of the group suddenly looked up and said, "Hey, while we're here, let's see if they have any books on cyber-robotics." He directed his gang to disperse throughout the library looking for the topic and after a minute, things started to calm down around the computers again.

Before long, Mrs. Stoppable showed up holding a few books with colorful covers. "Did you find what you needed?" she asked cheerfully.

"No," Yori shook her head slightly. "But it is alright. I am ready to leave."

---------( KP )---------

By the final bell, Ron was ready to just give up and live his life as a hermit. The colossal amount of work he'd been assigned to make up the six months he was absent didn't seem doable before the end of the calendar year, let alone the summer. He knew it was a blessing that he had an opportunity to avoid repeating the year at all, but his teachers seemed to be using it like a carrot on a stick, dangling the opportunity in front of him to force him to move but then pulling it away to keep it perpetually beyond his reach.

Walking back towards his locker, he was glad that he knew at least a few smart people to give him a hand getting through the mountain of paperwork. At least, he used to know a few smart people. He wondered if anyone other than Felix would talk to him anymore considering what was going on with...

"Hey Ronster!"

Speak of the devil.

"Hey Felix," said Ron. "Sorry about storming out before, I didn't mean to be a jerk."

"No problem," shrugged Felix as he rolled along the hallway beside Ron. "I know you've got a lot on your mind."

"Yeah, just a little." Ron held up his mountain of books.

"Ooh," said Felix, in an expression of pain. "Six months worth of homework, tests and interim assignments?"

Ron nodded dolefully.

"Let me know if you need any help, buddy," smiled Felix.

Internally, Ron sighed with relief. At least he could count on Felix.

"Don't look so grim," continued Felix. "It'll all work out. You'll even get to walk with us."

"Really?"

"Yeah! It's all ceremonial anyway. They don't even give you your diploma on the stage, just a diploma holder while they mail the real deal to your folks. I guess despite teaching us for four years they don't trust us enough not to lose it in post-graduation chaos." Felix shrugged. "Anyway, even if you're not going to complete all your requirements until the end of the summer they generally let you stand up there with all your friends all the same."

"Wow, that's great!" It really was. While the actual education to be attained while in school was never much more than a statutory pursuit for him, those special, landmark, TV-drama moments were a very big deal and there was a part of him who worried he'd lost his chance at them. Sure, he was pursuing a higher goal, and it was worth all the time and pain (right?) but still, it would have been a nightmare to sit in those bleachers by the football field and watch everyone he knew walk across that stage but him. Now that he knew that chance wasn't lost to him, that there still was a possibility, even the mountain of homework in his arms right now seemed doable.

"Uh... hey, Ronster," Felix said suddenly. "I just remember I had to grab something, I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure thing," said Ron, still smiling. Felix slowed and turned back, heading the way they came. Ron idly wondered what he forgot as he reached his locker then his marathon of thoughts were halted in favor of an new entry.

"Hey, Ron," Kim said standing in front of Ron's locker. She was looking at him unwaveringly, but her one arm was tucked behind her back as she stood, betraying some of her nervousness behind the shield of calm.

Ron, on the other hand, dropped all his books on the floor.

"Geeze, Ron," said Kim, bending over to help him pick up the texts. Ron quickly was scrambling to pile it all back up again to lift it. Neither was at their peak of coordination at the moment and they managed to scatter the books and papers further apart before starting to get them under control. Several times Ron and Kim would reach for the same book only to see the other reaching for it and hesitate, further extending the panic of book gathering.

Eventually they manage to pile them back up and Ron lifted them deftly in his arms and stepped over towards his locker now that Kim had moved aside. He carefully balanced the books on his arm as he put in his locker combination. He tried to make his whole world become that locker at that moment, drowning everything else out.

"Ron," Kim said again, ruining that fantasy. Ron slowed his progress but grudgingly allowed other things to enter his attention.

"Hey... KP," he said, twisting the locker wheel slowly. He had to face her, he suddenly realized. He'd admitted his need to face his problems earlier today when he faced up to Zita. All he had to do was the same here. But... twice in one day? It seemed like cruelty. He wasn't good at it yet, couldn't he get just a little practice before facing the one person...

"How... have you been?" Kim asked, breaking Ron's chain of thought. "I mean... recently."

"Oh, you know... classes, homework, several run-ins with Barkin," said Ron. He reached the second number in his combination and headed for the third. "How about you? Recently."

"I'm doing okay," nodded Kim. In her mind, she was screaming for Ron to look at her. Why did this have to be so hard? They were dating! And before that they were friends, _close_ friends -- BEST friends. Best friends don't have trouble talking to each other like this. Why did she feel like this was somehow HER fault? Just because she saw him with Zita...

"That's good," said Ron. He took a breath as if to say more, but then said nothing. Kim just stared at him. Didn't he have more than two words to say to her? She had to do it. If he wasn't brave enough to face this, she had to.

"How was Yamanouchi?" she asked, only partly reaching the topic she wanted to discuss.

"I... can't discuss it," Ron replied. He pulled on his locker suddenly and it opened. The nest of spiders had been cleaned out before lunch and now all that was left was gleaming metal. All of his old books had been thrown out and he quickly replaced them with his new stack. He stuffed all the tomes inside then grabbed a single spiral bound notebook from the stack and closed the door. With a sigh, he turned around and finally faced Kim.

"Ron, I already know about the school," said Kim. "That ninja girl said I could know when we were looking for your Sensei last year." Kim suddenly remembered that the ninja girl she just mentioned had some sort of crush on Ron when they last met. In fact, she appeared head over heels over Ron and seemed only to leave him because she had a duty to her teacher. But for the last six months Ron had been there, at the school, with _her_. Did something happen during that time? Did Ron do something he shouldn't have? Did that hussy try and steal him for herself?! "Why are you trying to hide what happened from me, Ron?" Kim suddenly burst, somewhat louder than she'd intended.

Ron looked around, panicked at the stares they suddenly drew. He quickly moved up to Kim and put his finger to his lips. "Sssh!" he shushed frantically. He continued in a soft voice. "I mean I can't talk about it _here_. There are way too many people here who can overhear and, like, the first rule at the school is to protect its secrets."

Kim felt flushed. "Oh." She tried to hide the reddening of her cheeks by casually glancing around and telepathically commanding everyone to stop staring. They apparently did not get the message. "Why don't we continue this back at the house, then?"

Ron nodded and swiftly turned, heading towards the doors. Kim walked alongside and forced herself to act normal, which she found to be completely impossible. Outside the school, they ran into the person Kim least expected to see.

"Ah, Stoppable-san!" the ninja girl from Yamanouchi called and rushed over. If Kim's outburst earlier had been attention grabbing, the slim, attractive, dark haired Asian beauty running excitedly towards Ron was positively mesmerizing. She was dressed in the white shirt and plaid skirt she was wearing when Kim first met her last year, which bore too healthy a resemblance to a Catholic school girl uniform.

"Yori?" asked Ron as she ran up.

"Yori," said Kim, without joy.

"Ah, Possible-san," said Yori, bowing slightly. "It is agreeable to meet you again."

"Yeah, same here."

"Yori," Ron repeated. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay at my house today."

"Your _house_?" asked Kim, not liking they way that sounded. "You knew she was here?"

"I came here with Stoppable-san," said Yori happily. "I am staying with him while I am in America."

Kim's head exploded.

"Are you alright, Possible-san?" asked Yori, noticing Kim's darkening expression.

"Kim?" asked Ron.

"I..." Kim said, shaking. She was undecided if she was struggling with rage or fear and decided rage was much more acceptable. Either way, though, it would do no good to her to lash out here. "I need to go, I have something to do right now."

"Wait, what?" asked Ron, startled.

Kim turned away from Ron and Yori and walked quickly away.

Yori and Ron stared after her in confusion. Then Yori frowned. "I am afraid I have upset Possible-san," she said wisely.

"You? What did you do?" asked Ron. "Why would she be upset with you?"

Yori stared at him. Not even all the affection in the world could blind her to Ron's ignorance when it came to women.

---------( KP )---------

Motor Ed sat cross-legged in the small room that had been set aside for him in his new hideout. He liked his new crew quite a bit and Hog was a good lieutenant for keeping them in line when he was away, so he felt little guilt in ducking out of the action in the main floor for a little personal-zen time. The room was just outside the work garage and had a large window on one side, so he wasn't completely removed from the goings on, but it was the best he could do. The hideout used to be a large auto shop, not a bunker, so it wasn't designed to have personal rooms, just manager offices.

Ed cleared his mind and tried to reach the state of peace that he had told Hog he'd attained while at the Buddhist temple. The monks there described it as an all encompassing feeling where you become both ultimately insignificant and entirely crucial to the functioning of the universe at large. In this state, all feelings of discontent, tension, and anxiety would vanish and he could be truly contemplative. Ed had studied long with the monks in Tibet and they were exceptionally welcoming of him and his needs but just as when he was still among those wizened brothers enlightenment remained elusive.

Motor Ed sighed with resignation and opened his eyes again. Before him lay the complex schematics for the Roadster his crew were busy gathering supplies for. As far as Ed could see, the design was perfect, a mechanical embodiment of _Dzogchen_, the Buddhist concept of enlightenment he so struggled to achieve. But while his eye was keen for the details he knew well, there were several elements that were nearly wizardry to him.

Despite the scores of books Ed had read on cyber-robotics, much of the science remained alien to him. Some sort of quazi-blend of mechanics, software engineering and artificial intelligence. The one brief (but fleeting) contact he had with the science was when he had the wheelchair of the friend of Kim Possible. He'd adapted what he found there to make the DoomVee for his cousin, but he would be lying to say he understood it. In fact, his lack of understanding was the DoomVee's ultimate downfall, as he had unwittingly incorporated a remote operation function into the vehicle, which Kim Possible had used to destroy it.

His trip to the Tibetan plateau was meant to help him understand what was hidden from him through achieving enlightenment, but it was clear now that it was the wrong path to take. He had learned much about meditation and philosophy, but those were not the knowledges he had sought. The truth of cyber-robotics remained beyond his reach and there was nothing the monks at the temple could do to draw it closer.

A quiet knock on his door startled him, and he quickly composed himself before opening the door. Dorothy, the slightly plump biker dude with the woman's name stood there holding a copy of the Roadster's schematics. He looked slightly nervous staring up at Ed.

"Sorry to bother you, Master--"

"Don't call me that," Motor Ed interrupted him quickly. "Motor Ed will do."

"Right, Motor Ed," nodded Dorothy quickly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to... I was just doing what... um... here." He held up his copy of the schematics and pointed at a odd-shaped, five sided box near the radiator. Ed couldn't help but notice that it was one of black boxes he drew in to stand for the cyber-robotic parts he didn't understand.

"What's the matter?" asked Ed.

"Y-you've got these notes regarding the coolant system, but I don't get how it flushes through the engine," said Dorothy, reddening. "I don't think any of us do."

Motor Ed sighed and ran his hand through his long hair. "It's alright, dude," said Motor Ed. "We're going to need someone seriously good at cyber-robotics to help us."

"We will?" asked Dorothy.

Ed nodded. "But first we need a ride with some decent speed to pick up our expert." He guided Dorothy back into the garage as he walked with him. "What's your specialty?"

"Specialty?" asked Dorothy, confused.

"Yeah, man. What are you better at than anyone else?"

"Oh, uh..." he searched his brain. "Karaoke."

Motor Ed stopped then looked at Dorothy slowly. "With cars. What's your specialty with cars."

"O-oh!" said Dorothy, stuttering again. "Main engine. Timing and casting. I also do bikes and two-stroke engines."

Ed nodded, storing the information away and started moving again. Dorothy followed behind now, somewhat meekly. "Seriously, karaoke?" Ed asked after a minute.

Dorothy nodded then realized Ed couldn't see him and answered. "Yeah. I used to be in the choir at my church when I was young. Always did like singing."

"How'd you get into engines then?" asked Ed.

"Mom, mostly," said Dorothy. "She was always making me help her with her Trans-Am. When I failed out of college she put me to work in her boyfriend's garage to pay for rent."

"You still live with your old lady?" asked Ed, unsure of what he was expecting to hear.

"No, mom died a few years ago," Dorothy said casually. "Too much exhaust and unfiltered cigarettes."

"Sorry to hear that," said Ed. "Mothers are important."

"It's okay, she had a good run. All the engine work in the world won't save a rusted frame."

"Dude," Ed said, impressed. "That was like, insightful."

"Seriously?" asked Dorothy.

"Seriously."

Dorothy smiled, which was a good sign as Ed had rarely seen him do so. He turned towards one of the equipment racks in the garage. "Can you get that Mustang engine into shape?" He pointed to a large metal lump sitting on the second shelf.

"Probably," shrugged Dorothy. "What are we putting it in?"

Ed pointed to a frame sitting on a car lift halfway down the garage. "That."

Dorothy smiled again. It was starting to become a trend.

---------( KP )---------

Kim didn't know what she wanted from Ron right now, and that unnerved her more than the fact that he was hanging out with Zita at lunch and Yori at home. She was pretty sure she wanted him to be her boyfriend, but there were reparations to make first. He'd effectively dumped her for six months and then came back to date again and that _just wasn't done_ without some sort of apology or romantic assertion on his part. Right? She wasn't being crazy looking for just a little acknowledgement that Ron had not handled this properly, was she?

Without a plan of action on that front, Kim decided that throwing herself into her other endeavors was the only way she'd get it out of her mind long enough to avoid going crazy. Thankfully, she had a lot of other endeavors.

With a lithe kick and roll, Kim skirted around the edge of the pit while knocking over the henchman running for her. She'd have just jumped and dodged out of the way of him, but she was afraid of what was at the bottom of that pit and it wouldn't do to send a helpless henchman to his doom just because he had the unfortunate luck to get hired by Señior Senior Senior. Glancing back to make sure the offending henchman did indeed fall to the side away from the giant hole, Kim continued her run, dodging the spinning blades to either side of the door and dove through, rolling beneath the laser trip-wires connected to the machine guns.

Kipping up to her feet again, Kim stood in the control chamber for Senior's island defenses. She was breathing hard, and wondered if she would have made if there was even one more robotic armor in the foyer, but she'd successfully gotten any thoughts about boyfriends or trips to Japan out of her head. Stepping up to her target, she stared at him menacingly.

"Ah, Kim Possible," said Senior Senior Senior, smiling wildly and clapping his free hand on the back of the one holding his cane. "You never do cease to impress with your athletic prowess."

"I wanted to talk, Senior," said Kim, with a sour expression. "Not fight. Are you going to do that every time I come here?"

"A price must be paid for every gatekeeper passed," Senior said, seemingly reciting something. "Although, if you call my secretary and make an appointment next time I may remember to turn off the security systems prior to your arrival."

"You want me to make an appointment to talk to you about your son's criminal activities?" asked Kim, incredulously.

"It is your choice to make, Ms. Possible," Senior continued to smile. "But I am not such a busy man that I can't take time out of my day to talk to such a stalwart defender of justice, just as I assume your day is not so equally full that you don't have time for a five minute phone call."

"Er, no, I guess not," Kim said awkwardly. "Fine, next time I'll call in advance. And you'll stop with the deathtraps, right?"

"I shall try to remember."

"Hrm."

"So, what is it about my son that you expect me to tell you?" asked Senior, leading Kim into an adjacent room where a well furnished office resided.

"You don't happen to know where he is right now, do you?" asked Kim. Senior motioned for her to sit on a chair before the desk and she obliged. He walked around the desk to sit in the high backed chair on the other side. He sighed as he sat and leaned his cane against the desk.

"I do not," said Senior. "As he did not return after the meeting last Friday that I informed you of. But, of course, that hardly means much, as we have many properties around the world and my son has propensities towards... more urban locales than this solitary island."

"With the number of henchmen you have here, I'd hardly say you're alone," commented Kim.

"Very true, but a young man seeks out his peers for company more than the wrinkled face of his old man or the men he employs." Senior scratched his chin. "We have a villa in Milan that Junior seems fond of, you might want to try searching there."

"That's it? He just might be somewhere, maybe?" asked Kim. "You don't know anything else?"

"I try not to get too involved in my son's social life," said Senior. "It tends to be stifling to a young man."

"Come on, Senior, you _know_ he wasn't meeting Shego for a social visit."

"Perhaps not," Senior shook his head. "But I am being truthful with you right now when I say I have no idea where my son is. I imagine you might even know more than I."

Kim frowned but thought back for a moment and carefully tried to pick apart what she saw and heard last Friday in that parking garage. "Junior was showing Shego some list of... I'm not sure. Something they were going to buy, or maybe steal. He said that one of the items on the list was of interest to you back just before your fortune was stolen."

"That hardly narrows things down, Ms. Possible," said Senior, chuckling. "I am in, what they call, the 'buying and selling' business. Without some idea of what manner of items were on your list, I couldn't even begin to guess."

"Buildings," said Kim, impulsively. "Or targets of theft. Junior talked about choosing items that were near the beach."

"Theft hardly seems likely," said Senior, bridging this fingers. "Apart from Junior's notion of stealing the Tower of London, I don't participate in that business."

"So, real estate, then?" prompted Kim.

"It is possible. Real estate was my first love and I still do quite a bit of trading in it." He paused. "Around the X-games, then?"

"Yes," nodded Kim.

Senior Senior Senior nodded. "Yes, I shall look into this for you. But in all likelihood it will result in several possibilities that will be up to you to resolve."

"Thank you," said Kim.

"My pleasure, Ms. Possible," said Senior. "Though, I am curious. I have never known you to come to me for help finding my son before, and yet here you are, two weeks in a row. Didn't you have an intelligence contact before?"

Kim hesitated, then said, "He's no longer reachable."

"Ah, a shame. I do hate the drudgery of finding new contacts, especially in information. But that is the business. You find a good man but soon everyone else wants a piece of him too."

"Yeah," said Kim half-heartedly. "It's the business..."

---------( KP )---------

Yori stared at Ron in his room while the latter sat on the floor and struggled with the first of his mountain of assignments from school. They had headed back to Ron's house after school and she had informed him of her lack of progress researching what happened to Yamanouchi. Then, at Yori's insistence, they went out back to practice their weapon forms, which they had been remiss in doing since leaving Japan. Ron was, as expected, already getting out of practice but Yori carefully started guided him back on track. When Ron's father returned from work, they all had dinner and now here they were, sitting in Ron's room, while he did homework and Yori stared at him.

Well, she was supposed to be reading a series of Japanese articles she'd printed out at the library for any mention of the mysterious group called 'SCHEME' that Yuudai-sensei mentioned, but she had too many other things on her mind and found herself quickly distracted.

"You don't happen to know how to do derivatives do you?" asked Ron, hopefully.

"I am sorry, Stoppable-san," Yori shook her head. "But the education I received at Yamanouchi was different than the one you got here in America. I do not know much of calculus."

"Yeah, I figured," said Ron looking back to his paper. "I didn't remember any math classes when I was there, but I thought maybe I'd missed them." He sighed. "I should get through this myself anyway."

"That would be more honorable," agreed Yori. "Even in education, it is best to face your battles yourself than enlist others to do so in your place."

"You say that now," said Ron. "But you never had to do calculus."

Yori smiled and laughed lightly. Ron began paging through his textbook again hoping to divine the answer to his question while Yori continued to look on. There were many things she wanted to talk to him about, but for some reason she couldn't seem to force herself to. Questions of honor and loyalty swam in her mind, and, above all, the face of someone she'd once cared for very much and was now little more than a ghost.

"Stoppable-san," Yori said after a few minutes.

"Yeah?"

"I believe we should continue your training in _sansaku no kyuumu_ again," she said. "Master Sensei would have wanted you to."

Ron froze in his work then slowly looked over to her. "Are you sure it's safe?" he asked.

Yori frowned, confused. "We were practicing after Master Sensei left before, why would it be any more dangerous than then?"

Ron turned his body to face Yori more comfortably. "Because Sensei was concerned that someone was watching me when I was in the dreamscape, and someone stopping his meditation. Also, immediately after he left the school, Scheme attacked, when we were weakest. Don't you think... maybe, it might be sorta... kinda... connected?"

Yori was surprised and her expression quickly changed. "I had not considered that," she said. "Though considering the involvement of the Shade it does make a lot of sense."

"What's the deal with the Shade anyway?" asked Ron. "They're ex-Yamanouchi? Did they get expelled or something?"

Yori shook her head. "Not exactly. They were a special group of Yamanouchi ninjas called the 'Shadow Gumi' that were created in the 1960's in case the cold war got out of hand. They were trained to infiltrate government offices and force an end to the war before devastating weapons could be used."

Ron stared at Yori in shock. "Are you serious?" he asked.

"I am not joking, Stoppable-san."

"But I thought you guys just wanted to be left alone and remain secretive," said Ron. "Infiltrating governments sounds like bad guy stuff."

"Master Sensei agreed with you," said Yori with a slow nod. "At the same time as the Shadow Gumi was completing their training, Sensei became the Master of Yamanouchi. He disbanded the group and asked them to forsake their training or leave. Some stayed but most left and became, years later, the Shade."

"Wow," said Ron, in awe. "Sounds like they could have quite a grudge against Master Sensei. Did any of them know how to dreamwalk?"

"I do not know," admitted Yori. "It does sound as if they did, given the facts of the attack." She tried to contain her fear for Master Sensei's life and remain logical, but was unsuccessful. He was the closest family she had, she couldn't lose him. Certainly not to the same dirty ninjas that killed her--

"Hey," Ron said softly and came over to sit beside her. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's okay."

"He was almost certainly targeted by them," Yori said quietly. "They may have gotten to him even before they came for Yamanouchi."

"He's not a frail man," assured Ron. "Despite his age, he's probably one of the strongest people I know. If anyone can take care of himself, it's him."

Yori nodded sadly. She wished she could do something, anything to help. But she agreed to hide with Ron in Middleton, and she had too much respect for Yuudai-sensei to defy him. Still, it was frustrating to sit and wait while nearly all the people she cared about in the world were at risk.

She looked up at Ron who was looking back with a kind smile on his face. At least she had Ron. Without Master Sensei, or Yuudai-sensei, or Hirotaka, Ron was the only piece of comfort left to her. She couldn't lose him too. She wouldn't lose him.

"Stoppable-san," Yori said, as quiet as a mouse.

"What is it?" asked Ron.

"Do you..." She trailed off as the reality of the situation hit her. With a turn of her head she made herself forget the next words of her sentence. They were bad, evil words, that were leading her towards things she shouldn't be doing. Not here, not now.

With a deep breath she turned back to Ron. "Do you think we could find the others in the dream?"

Ron blinked. "Er..what? Who?"

"Hirotaka-san, Hideoyoshi-san, or Yuudai-sensei," Yori specified. She gently moved away from Ron on the bed, trying not to appear awkward. "To see if they are alright, could we talk to them in the dreamscape."

"I suppose," said Ron. "If you think it's safe. Assuming they're asleep I should be able to pull them out of their dreams into the dreamscape for a while."

"We don't have to spend a lot of time there," assured Yori. "Just long enough to make sure they're okay. Then you can send them back into their dreams so if there is a Shade dreamwalker out there they won't know what we did."

Ron frowned as he considered it. "I've never drawn so many people into the dreamscape before," he said after a moment. "But I guess it couldn't be harder than pulling Shego's soul back to our world. Sure, let's give it a try."

Yori checked the clock on Ron's nightstand. "It is already afternoon in Japan," she said, disappointed. "We will have to do it towards the end of the night here."

"Okay," said Ron. "I'll try to pull you out of your dream just before morning." He picked up his clock and set the alarm for six am. "In case something goes wrong, this should wake me up."

Yori just smiled back at Ron.

"What?" asked Ron, confused.

"Thank you, Ron-san," she said slowly.

Ron grinned again. "Hey, it's no big." He looked at his floor covered with papers. "Maybe you could return the favor and help me with some of my work."

"It would not be appropriate for someone else to do your homework, Stoppable-san."

"Well, yeah, not do it, but maybe point me in the right direction."

"I think some of your classmates may be better suited to helping you," said Yori.

Ron sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'll see if I can get in touch with Wade tomorrow." With lumbering movements, Ron slowly descended to the floor again and opened his math textbook.

---------( KP )---------

"Come on, girl, since when do you back away from a fight?" Monique buzzed in Kim's ear while she lay on her bed. Kim made a face that Monique, being on the other end of the phone, wasn't be able to see so she kept on talking. "And you certainly shouldn't be letting no stick-waist from Japan push you around."

"I'm not... letting her push me around, Monique," said Kim. "It's just that... he's suddenly interested in all these other girls. I'm not sure what we even are anymore."

"Well, that would be because you haven't talked to him _at all_ since he came back," Monique said simply.

"I talked to him in the hall today. And, um, I said a few words to him when he showed up on Friday."

"Uh-huh," Monique sounded unimpressed. "Did the phrase 'how could you do that to me?' ever come up in those 'conversations'?"

"No."

"Right, so, you haven't even talked to him since he came back."

Kim grunted defiantly. She wasn't being silly. She wasn't! She couldn't talk to Ron about all those relationship things in the middle of school, and when he showed up on Friday she had just come back from trying to chase down Shego and she was _totally_ not in the right mindset.

"Four days... you know there's a statute of limitations on these things, right?" continued Monique.

"Oh, really? What happens when that runs out?" asked Kim, skeptically.

"You fall back into that 'friends' category because you _never talked about your problems_," insisted Monique.

"I don't know, maybe that's where we should be." Kim rolled over on her bed and looked at the pictures propped up on her desk. They all featured her and Ron together, but only one of them was after the prom when they finally started dating. "We were so close before we started dating, and now that we are it seems like we're more distant. It isn't right."

"Do you have a watermelon for a head?" accused Monique. "You're distant because he ran off and did something stupid and you're too afraid to confront him about it!"

"I get it, Monique," Kim said impatiently. "You want me to talk to him about going to Japan, you don't have to keep saying it."

"Apparently I do because you're still not doing it."

"I'm just looking for the right opportunity!"

"Kim," sighed Monique over the phone. "I'm trying to be your friend here, but you need to face reality. Do you still like Ron?"

"Of course," said Kim.

"Good. Now, do you think he was being an idiot when he ran off to Japan?"

"Well, yeah."

"Okay, fine. Then, has Ron being an idiot ever made you consider breaking up before?"

"I... er... you know, there's a difference between having every date at Bueno Nacho or losing his shorts on missions and suddenly--"

"Not in this scenario," interrupted Monique. "Pants dropping and fleeing to Japan are the same here. So, answer my question. Has your dating of Ron ever been contingent on him no longer being an idiot?"

"Of course not," said Kim.

"Then deal with this like you deal with all his idiocy. It's no different."

"But it IS!" Kim said, exasperated. "He hurt me, Monique. He ran away instead of facing me. He left me alone when I needed him."

"He didn't do it on purpose, Kim, you know that."

"How do I know that? How can he have no idea that running away to the other side of the world was going to hurt me? How could he not know that laughing and having fun with Zita and Yori would cause me pain?" Kim felt on the verge of tears. She hated talking about this, it made her feel so crazy. She couldn't possibly be the only person who was what was wrong here. "How can he not know how I feel?!"

"Because you haven't told him," Monique said softly.

Kim buried her face in her pillow. "It's not that easy."

"Of course not! Who ever said it would be?"

Kim grumbled.

"You don't have to do any of it if you don't think it's worth it," added Monique. "I wouldn't give you grief if you dumped Ron. But I don't think that's what you want."

Kim considered the point then lifted her head again. "It's not."

"Then don't complain about it being hard," said Monique. "I thought anything was possible for a Possible."

"God, now I get the propaganda from my friends too?"

Monique laughed.

---------( KP )---------

Hideyoshi ran in a panic down the street in the Kyuuban district in Kyoto. He saw those cloaked bastards run down here with Keiko and he was damned if he was going to let them take her too. The street was residential, with houses and walls lining each side of the road, but it was strangely deserted and the night sky seemed to have invaded the earth, consuming every side alley and niche with an encompassing blackness. The ninjas had taken out the streetlights, Hideyoshi noticed, and the scattered remains of plastic and glass lay in small piles at either side of the street.

Hideyoshi's legs burned as he ran. He'd been pushing them non-stop since he saw the first black suited man head towards Keiko and while they had not yet forced him to slow his pace, the time was drawing near. He had hoped he would catch up with her within the next few minutes but the deserted street and dark alleys dashed that hope easily. He slowed his pace finally, and began simply walking quickly along he path he hoped she'd been forced down.

It was supposed to be a simple night out, a date, as much as he had resisted calling it that. He and Keiko were going to the movies and then have dinner afterwards. They had been so careful to make sure the Shade had not followed them, they were sure they were safe. They still didn't let their guard down much, but as soon as they were out of sight of each other, the Shade.

Hideyoshi grit his teeth and shook with fury. When he found those ninjas, he was going to turn their insides out. Break every bone in their bodies and turn their organs to paste. They would deserve every painful moment and much, much more.

A soft snap reached Hideyoshi's ear and he spun with his arms at ready to see nearly a dozen ninjas approaching him. They all wore the silver emblem of the Shade blazoned on their chests. Keiko was nowhere among them, but Hideyoshi didn't care. He'd destroy them then save one alive to tell them where they'd taken her. Nobody would get stolen from him again.

The ninjas rushed him as soon as he spun but Hideyoshi was ready for them. The first one lunged at him but Hideyoshi gave him a kick to the face and then brought his heel down on his neck as he fell. With a satisfying crunch Hideyoshi turned towards the next attacker, who was wielding two _sai_. Hideyoshi's fists flew like lightning, somehow weaving between the swinging blades of the Shade ninja and catching the attacker's chin, following by a chop to his arms that caused him to drop the blades.

But the few seconds he spent paying attention to the _sai_ wielding ninja allowed two others to come behind him. He felt the quick jab to his back and then the arms trying to wrap around his shoulders and throw him down. Ignoring the burning in his spine, Hideyoshi dropped to his knees and then his new leverage to flip the man holding his shoulders over his head on top of the _sai_ wielding attacker.

The other ninjas moved in, attacking in pairs, two on each side of him. Hideyoshi was good, almost god-like in combat, but the odds were significantly against him. He brought down another ninja but two more quickly came to take his place. He doubted he would survive, but he would take as many of them down with him as he could.

In the back of his mind, he apologized to Keiko. He wouldn't be able to rescue her.

Suddenly several shuriken flew from the sky and struck three of the ninja who fell in cries of pain. Hirotaka took advantage of the distraction and wrestled himself free from the ninja who had his arm and then punched the attacker in the face. Backing out of the group that was now searching the skies for the source of the shuriken, Hideyoshi was surprised as three forms fell from the sky and landed beside him. It was Yori, Ron, and Hirotaka!

The three quickly rushed forward where Hideyoshi was fighting just a second before. Somehow they cut a wide swath through them and after only a minute the battle was over. His three classmates from Yamanouchi stood victorious.

"Yori-san! Hirotaka-kun! Sempai!" Hideyoshi cried, deliriously happy. "Quickly, they have Keiko, we have to go after them!" He turned to run but Hirotaka grabbed his shoulder, holding him back. "What's wrong? We don't have time!"

"They don't really have Keiko-san, Hideyoshi," Hirotaka said calmly.

"What?" Hideyoshi asked, then got angry. "Yes, they do, I saw them take her!"

"It's not real, dude-san," Ron said, walking over. "This is just a dream."

"Have you gone MAD?" yelled Hideyoshi. "They're getting away!"

Ron sighed and walked up to him. "Just calm down for a second, once you're out of the dream it'll make sense," he said. He put his hand on Hideyoshi's shoulder and closed his eyes.

Hideyoshi, in turn, raised his fist. "This is not a dream! Now let me go after Keiko, sempai, or so help me I'll--"

Then the world bled away leaving only a deep black-green abyss, spotted with stars, and a wide, glowing white road beneath their feet. The houses, ninja, and sky all were swept away in favor of the new surreal vista.

Hideyoshi froze in shock, then blinked several times as if adjusting his vision and slowly lowered his arm. "Oh, it was a dream," he said sheepishly. Ron removed his hand from Hideyoshi's shoulder and stepped back to stand with Hirotaka and Yori. "Sorry about that, sempai."

"It's alright," shrugged Ron. "Apparently it's pretty natural. I'm just glad you stopped before hitting me." He rubbed his jaw, then for some reason gave an evil look at Hirotaka.

Hideyoshi looked around in awe. "Where are we?"

"The dreamscape," said Yori.

"Seriously?" said Hideyoshi with a half smile. "Who's the dreamwalker among us, then?" Yori and Hirotaka looked to Ron. "Sempai? You're kidding!"

"Yeah, Sensei had been training me in it while I was at Yamanouchi." Ron looked slightly embarrassed, then suddenly he had a strained expression on his face.

Hideyoshi frowned at it then suddenly he felt like he was falling and the street in Kyoto started to reassert itself around him. Then, just as suddenly as it started, he was jerked back to his feet and he was standing on the glowing road again. Yori and Hirotaka both looked disoriented as well while Ron was holding his head.

"Woah," Ron said slowly before removing his hands from his face. "I almost lost you all there."

"Lost us?" asked Hideyoshi.

"It was like your dreams suddenly reached out at once to drag you all back," said Ron. "I barely felt it at all when I brought Yori here, but it looks like it gets much worse with each extra person. Three is probably my limit."

"It is better that way," said Yori. "We do not want to draw too much attention to ourselves in case the Shade's dreamwalkers are watching."

"The Shade has dreamwalkers?" asked Hirotaka, surprised.

"We suspect so," said Yori. "Master Sensei was under some sort of dreamspace attack just before he left Yamanouchi."

"And because the Shade attacked right afterwards, you think it was them," Hirotaka nodded.

"It is as you say," said Yori.

"Then it was not wise to do this," Hirotaka frowned. "We are all in hiding, if we broadcast ourselves like this the Shade are bound to notice."

"We just wanted to know you guys were alright," said Ron. "We all went our separate ways after the attack. Who knew what happened to you? Obviously we made it back to Middleton alright."

"I am fine as well," said Hirotaka. "I am with my parents and many of the instructors. I don't want to say where we are right now, as it may not be safe."

"You are with the teachers?" asked Yori. "Is Yuudai-sensei with you?"

Hirotaka shook his head. "No, he and several of the older generation have gone in search of Master Sensei to form a plan and decide what we should do about the Shade."

"But Master Sensei could be captured by the Shade already," Yori said urgently. "They should be going after the Shade to find out."

"That would be unreasonable," said Hirotaka. "Not only would Yamanouchi be difficult to siege without an incredible force, but it would not make sense for the Shade to bring Master Sensei there even if they had him. Master Sensei's vast knowledge of Yamanouchi would put him at an advantage for an escape. The Shade do not know the school as well as they once did."

"Oh, yes," nodded Yori. "You are correct, that does make sense."

"You two shouldn't worry about this," Hirotaka continued. "The teachers will figure it out and come to you if they need your help."

"If?" asked Yori.

"Please, Yori-san," said Hirotaka. "Stay in Middleton and trust our teachers and Master Sensei. They know what is best for Yamanouchi."

Yori looked upset but nodded all the same.

Ron turned to Hideyoshi... but he wasn't there. "Hideyoshi?" he called out. "Hideyoshi!"

"Down here!" his voice filtered up from around the edges of the road. Ron looked to Yori with wide eyes then they both turned to look at the staircase in the glowing path. They ran to the staircase and stared down it.

"Oh, man, tell me you didn't walk down the stairs," said Ron, worried.

"Why?" Hideyoshi's voice rose from down the staircase. "What's wrong with the stairs?" Ron shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Hirotaka frowned as he looked at the glowing stairs then looked back to where they were standing before. "I did not see this when I first got here," he said. "Was it always here?"

"They seem to appear at random," said Yori. "They were not here when I first came as well."

"Dude! Come back up!" Ron called down the stairs. "I'm not sure where these go and it might be dangerous!"

"Doesn't look like anything dangerous here," Hideyoshi called back up. "Just some glowing balls in cages or something."

Ron straightened slightly and frowned. "Wait, you reached another level down there?"

"Yeah, come on, take a look!"

Ron blinked then looked to Yori.

"We cannot leave without restoring Hideyoshi to his dream," said Yori, who then stood and started walking down the stairs.

"Wait, it could be--" but Yori was already out of sight. Ron sighed and then looked to Hirotaka. "I can send you back to your dream if you don't want to be involved in this."

"It is if best we all stay together," said Hirotaka. He patted Ron on the back and then headed down the stairs after Yori and Hideyoshi. Ron begrudgingly followed. The trip down went strangely quick and Ron was surprised to see the underside of the glowing road was covered in some sort of brownish growth like dirt and mushrooms. As they kept going down the stairs it became apparent that they were approaching not just another level, but a room. It looked like a floating gray box in the sea of darkness, elongated parallel to the road above, but probably no more than twenty yards long and just under five yards wide. A hole in the top allowed the stairs to enter but hide whatever was inside.

After ducking below the ceiling of the box Ron saw that the long rectangular room was some sort of dark research station. Like a laboratory or, more appropriately, a kennel for dreams. One wall of the room was lined with cages, inside of which floated the shiny orbs of dreams, one per cage. Yori and Hideyoshi were in the room looking at the rows of cages of dreams, while at the far end of the room was a large desk covered in stacks of paper. A row of green-blue lights ran along the center of the ceiling providing a dim glow to the darkly lit room.

"Are they dreams?" asked Yori when Ron stepped over to look.

"Yeah," Ron nodded. He could see little glimpses of what was inside and felt the draw from the shiny orb to enter them. He resisted, unsure of why they were caged to begin with. He couldn't conceive of how a dream could be rabid, but he knew that some dogs were caged for a very serious reason.

Hideyoshi moved towards the desk at the far end of the room and looked at the papers. "It's not Japanese," said Hideyoshi. "Or English or any other language I know." He picked up a few papers and looked at them closely but bringing them closer to his eyes didn't appear to magically translate them.

Hirotaka noticed the mug resting on the desk and put his hand over it. "It's cold," he said. "Hopefully it means whoever was here is long gone."

"Or that it was a cold drink to begin with," said Hideyoshi. He looked through more of the papers.

"This is so odd," said Ron as he looked at each of the dreams. "The entire dreamscape is so surreal but this place could easily be the real world. Well, except for the glowing balls of light." Ron stared closely at the cages. "There's writing here too." Small plates were below each cage, seemingly etched with a letter and a number. "E7," said Ron reading the cage he was looking into. He moved to the one beneath it. "D7." There were three more cages beneath that one. "It's a grid. Letters up and down, numbers left and right."

Yori bend down to look at the lower rows of cages. "Some of the dreams are missing," she announced. "Three of them."

Hirotaka came over to look while Ron moved to the desk. "Looks like they broke the doors on their cages," Hirotaka said looking at the hinges on the cages.

"The dreams escaped ... on their own?" asked Yori.

"Is that not possible?" asked Hirotaka.

"What are you talking about, Hideyoshi?" asked Ron, looking at the table. He picked up several of the papers and paged through them. "I can read these. They're in English."

Hideyoshi blinked and stared at the pages that Ron was holding. "No, it isn't. It looks runic or something."

"This is English, dude," insisted Ron. "Look, it's written plainly here: 'C5 discharge rate up thirty-five percent over control node.' Looks like some sort of log or experiment."

Hirotaka came over to look, then squinted at the papers. "I can't read these either," he said. "It seems you are the only one allowed to read them."

Ron shuffled through the pages he had in his hands. "Which dreams are missing?"

Yori looked at the plaques on the cages, then shook her head. "I cannot read the cage labels. How did the numbering go?"

"Increasing from left to right, and from bottom to top," said Ron.

Yori slowly counted across and up. "A-3, B-6, and A-11."

"A-3... A-3... Ah! Here we go. It says A-3 is a 'Protogenesis Orb,' whatever that means." Ron pushed some papers aside on the desk to access the others buried below. "Oh ... it looks like it can interact with other dreams, merge with them and take over."

"What does that do?" asked Hirotaka.

"I'm not sure... it seems like it was considered generally good," said Ron. "One of... eight, it says. I think there are eight 'Protogenesis Orbs' and this was one of them. Hmm..." He looked through the papers on the desk again. "Okay, A-3 was a shared dreaming orb, it would take two existing dreams and cause them to merge, letting two regular people have a shared dream."

"Why?" asked Yori.

"It doesn't say," said Ron. "Though who ever wrote these said that it could be used to bring people into the Dreamtime Kingdom if they weren't individually capable."

"Dreamtime Kingdom?" asked Hideyoshi.

"It doesn't say anything more about it," said Ron. "No, wait, it says..." He trailed off reading.

"What is it?"

"Hang on," said Ron. He looked at the desk then pushed aside the piles of papers to reveal a large blotter beneath them all. It showed a diagram of the dreamscape, with its long wide road, leading towards a giant, bright sphere. Smaller spheres looked like they were in set orbits around the giant one and several other roads were drawn leading towards the giant sphere, that the smaller orbits dodged between.

"It's a map," said Hirotaka, studying it. "There we are." He pointed at a spot in the road where a dotted line box had been drawn with a staircase leading to it.

"Then what's this?" asked Yori, who had joined the huddle around the desk. She pointed at the giant sphere in the center of the picture.

"That's the Faerie Kingdom," said Ron. "It's also called the 'Dreamtime Kingdom' or the 'Endless Dream,' according to this." He held up a page of cryptic writing.

"It's a giant dream sphere?"

"I think so," nodded Ron. "These orbiting spheres are the Protogenesis dreams, I think. When other dreams drift in their wake, they get pulled in and join the Faerie Kingdom."

"So what's the Faerie Kingdom?" asked Hideyoshi.

Ron shrugged. "Some sort of never-ending dream that always exists here, I guess. I haven't seen anything yet that says what it is." Ron picked up more of the notes and started to read through them. "Do you know anything, Yori?" he asked absently.

"Master Sensei never mentioned such a place to me," said Yori. "But I was never as adept at the dream as you."

"While many at Yamanouchi are told of dreamwalking," said Hirotaka. "It is typically only in reference to the mythical abilities of Toshimaru-sama. I was not even aware any dreamwalkers still existed."

"Let's just go see then," said Hideyoshi. He looked at the map. "Doesn't look so far."

Hirotaka frowned. "I do not think that is wise."

"Oh, come on," said Hideyoshi. "This is just a dream, what could happen?"

"There are consequences to things that happen on the dreamscape," said Yori. "If you get hurt or die here, you may not be able to wake up."

"Oh," said Hideyoshi. "But, come on, I'm sure it's nothing dangerous. Whoever lived here knew all about it. He _must_ have went there."

"That does pose the question: what happened to this person?" said Hirotaka. "Where is he now?"

Nobody had the answer to that.

"I should send you all back to your dreams now," said Ron, finally. "It's getting to be morning where we are and you guys need your sleep."

"Aw man," whined Hideyoshi. "I'd really prefer not to. That nightmare was... less than awesome."

"You won't go back to the same nightmare," said Ron. "Once I pulled you out of it, it disappeared since there was no longer anyone dreaming it. If you keep a different image in your mind, you'll probably dream of that when I send you back instead."

"That sounds much better," Hideyoshi said, relieved. He put his hand to his chin and looked off to the side.

"You two keep yourselves safe," said Hirotaka. "Don't draw attention to yourselves or the Shade will come down you."

"Please be safe as well, Hirotaka-san," said Yori, putting her hand on his arm. "Promise me you will not do anything dangerous until Yuudai-sensei returns."

Hirotaka smiled. "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself," he said, but did not promise.

"Okay, guys, I'm sending you back," said Ron. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a second. Then the images of Hirotaka and Hideyoshi melted away and were replaced by two glowing spheres of light that lazily drifted back up the stairs and away.

"I am glad they are safe," said Yori.

"Yeah, but, let's make a rule. Any time Hideyoshi is here someone's gotta watch him like a hawk."

Yori laughed. "Shall we return to our dreams as well, Stoppable-san?"

"Yeah... I just wish there was a way to take these notes with me," he looked down at his handful of papers. "It's going to take forever to read these if I can only do it while dreaming."

"Can you not bring them to the real world the same way you brought Shego back?" asked Yori.

Ron shook his head. "No, I just brought her dream back here and when it broke, she went back to her body. I never physically dragged her into the real world." He paused. "Hey, that reminds me, I never found out if Shego actually came back. I should ask K--" he stopped. "Oh, right."

Yori put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, you do not want to miss school."

"Heh, you don't know me that well then," laughed Ron. He closed his eyes to concentrate, completely missing the hurt expression on Yori's face.


	6. Episode 3: Forgotten Dreams PART III

----------------

Disney's Kim Possible in

**Apocolocyntosis**

By Adam Leigh

Episode 3:

"Forgotten Dreams"

----------------

PART III

---------( KP )---------

Ron headed over to Kim's house as soon as he woke up from the dream. He knew that things had started to get out of hand and he had to face up to it. It'd been five days since he came back to Middleton and as much as he dreaded the talk to come he couldn't stand the thought of being avoided by her for the rest of his life. They had to talk and it had to happen today.

Mrs. Possible answered the door. "Hello Ron," she said cheerily.

"Good morning Mrs. P," said Ron.

"Looking for Kim?"

"Ayup."

"Sorry, but you missed her already."

"That's o--what? She already went to school?"

"That's right."

"Oh, man," said Ron. "All right, I'll have to catch up with her there." He turned and waved. "Thanks, Mrs. P!"

"Have a good day, Ron!"

---------( KP )---------

At school, Kim was already sitting in homeroom, trying to figure out what she was going to do. She still felt sick deep in her stomach over her complaining to Monique last night, she hated feeling like such a drama queen. If she saw Ron today, she'd have to face up to him, tell him what's been bothering her, and try and work out their relationship like adults. But until that happened, she was going to focus on other things and keep it out of her mind as much as possible.

Going to Senior Senior Senior's yesterday hadn't been all that useful, though with luck he would come back to her with some information later. She probably couldn't completely trust it, but it would be a start. Until then she had to find out where Shego and Junior went on her own.

Then there was also the matter of the third part at that parking lot meeting on Friday. Shego had called the black-suited man 'Black Shadow' when he attacked, and clearly he was after the thief, but the question was why. Was this Black Shadow an alley or an enemy? And how had he found out about Shego's little meeting?

"Oh, good morning, Kim."

Kim looked up, startled by the voice and saw Dr. Rick striding in, heading for his desk. He was carrying his satchel as usual, but had a brown sports coat over his plaid shirt and black jeans. "Good morning, Dr. Rick," said Kim. "You're here early. And dressed up... I think."

Rick chuckled as he put down his bag. "I coach the basketball team," he said. "Gotta wear a jacket and tie on game day, it's the rules, apparently."

"You forgot the tie," said Kim.

"It's in my bag." He gestured towards the satchel, then started rubbing his neck. "I never really liked them very much, like tiny nooses. Nooses... bother... me." He trailed off awkwardly as he looked at Kim, like he'd said more than he felt was prudent and had ventured into weird. Kim sympathized. "Anyway, I'll put it on later."

"I don't suppose you've ever heard of the 'Black Shadow'?" asked Kim on a lark.

"Aren't all shadows black?" asked Rick.

"Only when there's no other light, I think," said Kim. "No, this is some guy calling himself that. Probably a vigilante."

"Then that would probably be more of your department than mine," admitted Dr. Rick. He started pulling papers out of his bag. "And here I thought you were working on one of my assignments."

Kim felt embarrassed. "No. I've got all my homework done, though."

Rick laughed. "That's fine, I know you do your work. I'm glad to see you're back into your hero work too."

Kim looked awkwardly down. "It's just temporary."

"You're temporarily going to be helping people?"

"I'm just trying to find Shego," admitted Kim. "She up and vanished on her doctors last week and I found her hanging out with some of old criminal friends on Friday."

"Ah," said Rick, remembering Shego. "She's the one who ended up being really old, right?"

"Yes, she helped us rescue you when you were captured by Gemini," nodded Kim.

"Well, I think she was more interested in rescuing Drakken, actually," said Rick. "But I appreciated the help."

"I feel like I owe her for her help that day," explained Kim. "But I can't let her start committing crimes again, even if she is older than my Nana now."

"Hah. Some people can't fight their nature."

"It would be nice if she would at least _try_," grumbled Kim.

Rick sat down at his desk to begin preparing his materials for class and homeroom. After a moment he paused and then looked back up at Kim. "Hey, Kim."

"Yes?"

"If you're looking for a vigilante, wouldn't that big organization who came to help rescue me know something about it? They seemed to be a big player in law enforcement."

Kim blinked. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. Thanks, Dr. Rick."

Rick nodded and went back to his work.

---------( KP )---------

"I'm sorry," said Ron, exasperated, to Monique in the hall. "Okay?"

"Eh, I don't think you meant it," Monique said looking back at him out of the corner of her eye.

"What do you mean I don't mean it? Of course I mean it!"

"What are you sorry for?"

"For not calling or writing or telling anyone before I left," said Ron. He covered all his bases, he was pretty sure. "There."

"What about Kim?"

"I'll apologize to Kim when I see her _if_ you'd tell me where she is."

"No, no, what are you sorry to Kim for?" specified Monique. "What are you going to apologize for to Kim?"

"Should I be telling you this?" asked Ron.

"If you want me to tell you where Kim is, then, yes."

"I'm sorry for the same things, Monqiue," Ron slowly explained. "I don't feel any less sorry towards her than you."

"No, but you should feel MORE sorry!"

"Well, she is my girlfriend, I feel worse about making her upset than you," said Ron. Then got a panicked look in his eyes. "Not that you're not important too."

"Uh-huh," Monique raised an eyebrow. "Listen, boy, we need to have a little heart to heart."

"Can it wait until after you tell me where Kim is?"

"No."

"Ah, it was worth a shot," said Ron then settled in for lecture-time.

"Don't give me that glazed expression, I am not one of your teachers!"

"Sorry," said Ron, unsure of exactly what his 'glazed' expression was. He tried to look intensely interested instead, which just freaked out Monique more. She tried to ignore it.

"Kim still wants you for some reason -- and, god help me, I have no idea why -- but you need to come at least halfway in this conversation and dial-into a half-way decent clue as to why she's upset with you."

"I left. She's upset over that," concluded Ron.

"Well, duh, but it's not _just_ that," explained Monique. "It's everything."

"She's upset... about everything," repeated Ron, confused.

"Not everything," Monique put a hand to her forehead. "She's upset about the leaving and the not calling, yes, but she's also upset about the ninja school, the ninja girl, the drama girl..."

"Woah, woah, what are you talking about? What ninja-girl? What drama-girl?" He paused. "She wasn't supposed to tell you about ninjas at all, now that I think about it!"

"I'm her best friend, Ron, did you think she was going to tell me nothing?"

Ron grumbled. "I still don't know what you're talking about."

"She's upset about you, Ron," said Monique. "She's upset that I have to have this talk with you -- even though she doesn't know I'm talking to you and you will _never_ say anything about this to her if you want to continue walking straight -- because she's upset you don't realize how you're hurting her."

"I told you why I'm sorry, isn't that enough?" snapped Ron. He was irritated that Monique was telling him how to be Kim's boyfriend. He knew how to be Kim's boyfriend. He WAS Kim's boyfriend.

"No, it isn't, because you missed the biggest part," said Monique.

"Oh, really? What's the 'biggest part' then?"

"The biggest part is that you didn't think she deserved to be included in a decision that affected your relationship," said Monique.

Ron blinked, then frowned. "Isn't that just the same as not telling her before I left?" he accused.

"No!" Monique said loudly. "It's not. Not telling her is like forgetting to call when you're going to be late coming home, or not being able to stop by on the way to work because you're running late. Not including her is saying she doesn't deserve to know. Not including her is saying that she's not as important as you."

"But that's plainly not true!" said Ron, offended. "She's everything to me, that's why I went on that trip! So I can keep her safe! Protect her!"

"You're not her bodyguard, Ron. Doesn't she get to have a say in how she's protected? Doesn't she get to choose if she WANTS to be protected?"

"She got hurt because I couldn't protect her," said Ron, bitterly. This was dredging up emotions he didn't want to have before talking to Kim and it was pissing him off. "I did what HAD to be done to fix that."

"Are you stupid?" asked Monique. "She's been jumping off cliffs, out of airplanes, into landslides, through lasers, into deathtraps, and into the proverbial 'fray' since she was _twelve_ but YOU'RE the reason she finally got hurt? Do you have any idea how egotistical that sounds?"

"Forget it!" snapped Ron. "I don't need your help; I'll find her on my own." He stormed away, scowling; his fury barely contained in his fists. He never got this angry. It was completely out of character for him. Who was SHE to say all those things to him? All he wanted to do was _apologize_! What sort of insane woman steps in front of a guy trying to apologize to his girlfriend?

---------( KP )---------

Brick looked uneasily out into the floor of the garage. The roadster was sitting on the primary lift and quickly coming together. It was going to be a monster sports car, nearly as big as a Buick, but it had to be to house the engine that Motor Ed had designed. Brick had never seen anything like it, a single chamber engine with an odd gas turbine-like construction that ran on a form of oxygen-infused plasma. It would provide power to the wheels in 'lower gears' -- or so Motor Ed described it -- and then in higher gears it would feed power to the rear jets and the cyber-robotic gravity wave generator. Half of the engine seemed like magic to Brick, but he was able to happily occupy himself with the standard mechanical parts.

No, it wasn't the engine that was making him feel uneasy. It was the cyber-robotic 'expert' they had picked up this morning with the more traditional muscle car that Dorothy and Axel had worked on all night. There was no question that she was uncomfortable here and her outburst when she first arrived made it clear that Motor Ed and Jig had kidnapped her. Brick wasn't sure how he felt about that. He knew right from wrong, and he knew breaking school laws and 'real' laws were very different. He also knew that he was now associating with a criminal, and he knew at least one girl from his past would not appreciate that at all.

But he couldn't leave now, could he? He'd seen the movies. Once you try to back out of the family, you ended up with a dead horse in your bed... or something like that. He wasn't quite sure how the horse fit in. Maybe he would have to pay for the horse, or he would be framed for killing the horse. Something about a dead horse would happen, and Brick rather liked horses so he would prefer it didn't.

The question was what to do. Should he keep working on the roadster and just hope he didn't get caught, or try to find a way to escape and avoid blame for kidnapping. His instinct told him he should avoid breaking the law, but his somewhat functioning wit told him if he were to run, he might end up dead.

Or with a horse.

"Brick!"

"YEEEAGHHG!" Brick yelped when he heard his name suddenly shouted. He turned quickly and saw Hog leaning his head into the break room where Brick was standing. "What is it?"

"Calm down, friend," said Hog, smiling warmly. "Don't want to make a mistake because you're wound so tight. Don't worry, I'm sure the Doctor will help us integrate the cyber-robotic parts so it won't blow up or anything."

"The Doctor?" asked Brick.

"The woman Motor Ed brought in this morning," he explained. He walked in and looked at Brick carefully. "Are you alright?"

"YesI'mFine," Brick spouted then stopped and repated. "Yeah, I'm cool. Totally cool. No problems here!"

"Okay, you're either completely cool, or entirely un-cool," said Hog after a moment of thought. "I'm leaning towards the latter. So why don't we talk about it. What's wrong? Maybe I can help."

"I don't feel comfortable talking about it," said Brick, turning away from Hog. That man was far too cheery for what they were doing, decided Brick. He was either a criminal to the core or completely insane. Either way, Brick wasn't going to voice his concerns about dead horses to him.

"Come on," Hog said, nudging Brick on the arm. "We're all pals here. We're building something magnificent together, what better bond is there than workmates?"

"I dunno," shrugged Brick. "Cellmates." He blinked at what he just said. "I mean, cell... er, cell...phone! Yeah, cellphone mates! You know, good close friends who share worries over the phone. Ah, those cellphone mates... always being called cellmates for short, ya know?" Brick felt like burying his head in the floor like an ostrich until this all blew over.

"Listen, I know what you're worried about," said Hog.

"You do?" said Brick. Dammit! He hoped he'd covered that slip up well enough to get by.

"You're a smart kid."

"I am?"

"You are," nodded Hog. "You picked up a lot of mechanical knowledge faster than anyone I've ever seen. You realized the crankshaft on the muscle car was cracked just by listening to it, and you understood the fluid control system on Motor Ed's engine before any of us did. You're a natural mechanic. It's why I picked you to be part of this crew."

"Thanks," said Brick, sincerely. It didn't make him feel any better about the kidnapped woman, but it was the first time anyone had called him a natural at anything since Mr. Barkin called him a natural linebacker at football practice.

"You're worried that this cyber-robotic stuff is going to go over your head, and you're going to look stupid," said Hog nodding slowly. "But, I don't think you should feel stupid. It's wiser to say that you don't know something than to say you do."

"Wise?" Nobody had ever called Brick wise. In fact, he'd frequently been called quite the opposite.

"Wisdom is important," said Hog. "It's what led Motor Ed to seek enlightenment and then return with the designs for what we're building here today. The fastest vehicle ever designed. And you and I and everyone here are going to down in history as the crew that built that car, the car to end all cars."

"We're a team," continued Hog. "Even the Doctor is part of that team now. And we're going to support each other like a family because none of us know everything; we're each a little stupid in some area. But together, we can be the best. So don't worry about it."

"Er, okay?" said Brick. He had to admit, the speech was somewhat inspirational. It would be nice to be known for something other than football and cheeseburger eating contests. It would almost be worth getting a little attention from the law. After all, it wasn't he who kidnapped the woman, it was Motor Ed. He could even claim he had no idea she was kidnapped. Then he'd probably get off pretty easy, and then he'd be famous and might be able to get his pick of garages to work at. It was really win-win. "Okay!" Brick said more confidently.

"There you go," said Hog, patting Brick on the back.

Brick smiled slightly more easily. Hog was a good person to have watching your back, he concluded. He was cheerful and pragmatic, and knew how to appreciate all the members of a team. Sort of like a good team captain. But it was completely out of step with his appearance, with his scraggly hair, leathers, and earrings. "Hey, Hog, what were you before all this?"

"What was I?" asked Hog with a smile. "What do you think?"

"I dunno, a teacher or something?" asked Brick.

"Hah, no, just a regular salary man," said Hog. "Fixed bikes on the side, but spent my days in a bank."

"A bank?" asked Brick. "How come you gave that up?"

Hog shook his head, reminiscing. "Never really cared for it, only did it to support my family. Mom and my sister." He looked distant. "But Mom died and Ellen left for... who knows where, and there I was, stuck doing the same life-sucking job my father did for no other reason than I'd been doing it all along. After I messed up fixing my bike and nearly fatally wiped out, I decided enough was enough."

"Wow," said Brick. "So you followed your dream?"

Hog laughed. "Not quite, just followed something I liked more than balancing records and issuing statements. I never really let myself have dreams before, just starting to get used to living for myself right now, actually." Hog's smile faded slightly, but not completely. He had a strange, wry smile on now and Brick was suddenly hit with the fact that Hog was old. Not very old, just, not a kid just out of high school like he was. Hog had gone out into the world and then come here, whereas Brick was just getting started.

"When I was young, I adored my father," Hog said suddenly. "He worked at the same bank I used to, but I never saw him there, I just saw him at home, late at night after the bank closed, working on his old Harley. He loved that bike, I guess. Working on that thing was the only time he wasn't frowning. He wasn't smiling, mind you, but he had an even, almost content look on his face. Like he could forget how his work was wearing him down and how he could never see his family and just live in that moment. Him and his bike. A little polish and some grease."

Hog sighed but retained the small smile. "He died before I knew enough about bikes to help him. Then, without him around, mom couldn't make enough money so I left school to go to the bank and support us and my younger sister. The bank manager took pity on me because of my father's sudden aneurysm, and let me work long hours as a minor. I kept up with my engine knowledge though. I'm sure my father's happy about that, wherever he is."

Hog looked up suddenly and laughed. "I guess I did follow my dream, in a way. I never realized it until now, though." He smiled widely and slapped Brick on the shoulder. "Thanks, man."

Brick was surprised by his sudden change in tone, but felt an incredible wealth of respect well up inside of him for Hog. Here was a man who was never given anything, just had things taken from him, and he was cheerful and positive and strong. How could he even think about thanking Brick? He was a kid who was going to abandon their work because a selfish desire to escape blame. He didn't deserve Hog's thanks, so he returned it instead. "Thank you," Brick said back.

"Come on," Hog said, standing. "We've wasted enough time. We need to get working on reinforcing the frame to withstand the wind resistance this thing is going to face."

---------( KP )---------

Somehow it was lunch period and Ron had still not come across Kim. He felt like he was going to burst. Not only was his mind still whirring with the garbage that Monique had battered him with this morning, but he was boggled over how he couldn't find a person in the single school building. The Yamanouchi campus was nearly three times the size of this school and had many, many buildings. He was starting to think he was going out of his mind.

As he entered the cafeteria, he kept an eagle-eye out for Kim, hoping he'd gotten here early enough so that Kim hadn't already gotten her lunch. She was nowhere in sight, but Zita was, and made her way over to him.

"Hey," she said. She noticed him scanning the crowd and she turned to mimic his movements. "What are we looking for?"

"Kim," said Ron. "I've been looking for her all morning but somehow I keep missing her." He looked back at her. "She doesn't eat lunch somewhere else now that I don't know about, does she?"

Zita looked pensive for a moment, as if considering something, then replied, "Not that I know of. Sorry."

"It's alright," said Ron. "It's not like I expected you to keep tabs on her or anything."

Zita looked to the side for a moment then back. "Recently I have been, actually, since she tried out for the spring play."

Ron looked surprised. "She tried out for the spring play?" he asked. "Like, _drama club_?"

"Don't knock it, I'm part of that group," Zita said with a frown.

"No, wait, I didn't mean to sound like I was against it. I'm just surprised that Kim was. I mean, after the trouble the talent show caused, I wasn't sure if she was ever going to put her skills on show again." He considered this new information. "Will she be singing?"

"She tried out for the role of Christine in Phantom of the Opera," said Zita. "So singing is definitely involved."

Ron tried to remember what happened in Phantom of the Opera, but failed. He'd seen many parodies of it on television and in movies, but he was almost completely unfamiliar with the original. "That's the main girl role, right? The one the Phantom is into?"

"Yeah, something like that," said Zita with a smirk.

"Who's playing the Phantom?" asked Ron, strangely jealous.

"Well, tryouts were only recently, parts are going to be posted this afternoon. So we don't know who's playing the Phantom or if Kim will playing Christine. Though, I'm fairly certain she will be, since the director was quite excited about her audition."

"Well, cool, I guess," said Ron. "But it still doesn't tell me where Kim might be."

"I suppose not," said Zita. She looked uncomfortable. "You could check the green room, though. The area beside the stage."

"You think she might be practicing?" asked Ron. "Even though the parts haven't been posted yet?"

"It's possible," said Zita. "Lots of drama club people hang out there during lunch."

"Hmm, okay, I'll give it a shot," said Ron. He headed off.

Zita watched him go with a pained expression. "Sorry, Malcolm," she muttered.

Turning, she headed for the line to get her lunch. Salisbury Steak. Blegh.

"ZITA!" a voice called out and commotion began to start. Zita turned around just in time to see Felix flying over the heads of students in his mechanical wheelchair and heading right for her. She braced for impact, wondering what she did to deserve this, but the Felix landed beside her roughly.

"Felix!" Zita yelped when she felt safe again. "What are you doing?"

"Where's Ron and Kim?" he asked urgently. His eyes were wide and he was panting as if he'd just run, rather than flew.

---------( KP )---------

In the green room, Kim shook her head languidly while leaning back on the old couch that had been placed there. "I appreciate your help, Malcolm," she said, staring down ominously. "But you're going to have to go slower or it's never going to happen."

Malcolm blinked. "I thought you were good at this," he said slyly.

"When did I say I was good at this?" asked Kim.

"Well, you're good at everything, right?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "I suppose I used to tell people that, but I've never been very good at this. Probably because I don't ever practice on my own."

"You gotta practice on your own, Kim," Malcolm admonished. "If you don't ever use it, it'll never become natural to you."

"I'm just never in the mood, you know, I lead a busy life."

"Well, if you want me to continue doing this with you, you're going to have to practice at night."

Kim grumbled in frustration. "This all Ron's fault, you know," she said almost without thinking.

"Ron?" asked Malcolm, pausing the motions of his hand.

"He got me into this stuff and then he ran off and left me without a partner to practice my oral skills with," Kim said.

Malcolm laughed. "I'm sure there are plenty of other people who would have been glad to help you develop a natural tongue for it if you only asked."

"Well, at least I have you now," Kim said kindly.

"At least you have me," repeated Malcolm, putting his head down and going back to what he was doing.

At that moment, Ron walked in and looked, startled, at the scene before him. "Kim!" he said then looked at the guy with her. "And Malcolm Nerdious?"

"Needious," corrected Malcolm.

"What are you doing here?" Ron accused.

Kim closed her textbook and held it up for Ron. "He's helping me in Latin class," she said. "It's no big."

"Er, right," nodded Ron. Kim was sitting on the couch with her books around her and Malcolm had apparently decided to sit on the floor while he looked through his own textbook. Ron tried not to look too surprised at the studying, despite the fact that he'd imagined something totally different when he heard the voices in the hall.

"Kim," Ron started again, hoping to reset his thought process. "Do you... you know, can we talk?"

Kim swallowed and stood. This was the time. It was time for them to have the conversation they'd been avoiding for nearly a week. She resigned herself to it this morning and she wasn't going to run away now. And nothing, short of the world ending, was going to stop it now.

"Yeah, let's talk," Kim said confidently.

"I guess I'll be going now," said Malcolm, looking awkwardly between Ron and Kim. He began picking up his books.

"So," said Kim, looking at Ron.

"Yeah," managed Ron, looking back at Kim.

Silence ensued.

Ron took a deep breach.

Kim did the same.

"Ron--" started Kim at the same time Ron said "Kim--" They both stopped, hesitating on the next word in case they would speak over each other again.

"GUYS!"

Everyone jumped at the scream from the hallway and Ron, Kim, and Malcolm looked as suddenly Felix flew quickly into the green room with Zita sitting on his chair along for the ride.

"Felix?" asked Kim. "This isn't really--"

"Kim, Ron, I need your help," Felix said urgently.

"What is it, dude?" asked Ron. "We were kinda in the--"

"My mom's been kidnapped!"

Everyone (except Zita) stared.

Kim blinked in shock. "When?"

"Just over an hour ago," said Felix. "I got the call from her lab, apparently they're still picking up the pieces after the attack and forgot to call me until now."

"Attack?" asked Ron, concerned. "Is everyone else alright?"

"I guess," said Felix shaking his head. "I don't know. The point is, my mom was taken by the guys who attacked her place and her co-workers said it looked like she was their target the whole time."

Kim frowned, then looked up at Ron who was already looking back at her. "Talk about this later?" Kim tried.

"Later," nodded Ron. "Felix comes first."

"All right," Kim nodded. "Felix, lets head over to your mom's lab and see what we can dig up on the culprits. Ron--"

"I'm coming along," said Ron, firmly. Kim looked at him. "Just because we haven't talked doesn't mean I'm giving up Team Possible."

Kim smiled slightly. "Thanks, Ron," she said. "I'll probably need your help."

"I'll call Yori as well," said Ron, getting out his cell phone. "She's not bad in a fight."

"Right, Yori," said Kim, unenthusiastically. Then she turned towards Zita -- who by now had jumped down to the ground from the hovering wheelchair -- and Malcolm. "You two should--"

"Yeah, we'll come along," interrupted Zita.

"We will?" asked Malcolm, surprised. Zita shot him a look that could melt glass. "I mean, yeah, we're totally in on this."

"That wasn't what--" started Kim, but she was interrupted again.

"I mean, with Wade missing," Malcolm continued. "You'll need all the help you can get, right?"

"Err," started Kim, then looked between them an Felix who just looked back at her with a wild expression that said to her 'why are we just standing here!?' "Right, I guess you two can come too."

"Okay," said Ron, closing his phone. "Yori's ready we'll just swing by and grab her on the way."

"Then let's go," said Felix, landing and then wheeling back out of the green room. Zita and Malcolm ran afterwards, followed, finally, by Kim and Ron.

Ron looked to Kim with an uneasy expression as they ran. "Did Malcolm just say that Wade is missing?"

---------( KP )---------

While Kim and Felix were inside the research laboratory that Mrs. Renton worked at, questioning the scientists who were present for her kidnapping, Ron and the rest of the extended Team Possible were scouring the rest of the lab and the road outside for clues.

"Stoppable-san," said Yori as they looked at a series of skid marks in the parking lot. "Are all these people part of your team?"

"Ah, not normally," said Ron, bending over to look closer at the pavement. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce everyone but we were sort of in a rush."

"I understand, Stoppable-san," nodded Yori.

"Looks like they took off in a hurry," said Ron, straightening up again. "Skid all over the place as they left, fishtailing. Probably a light car with a way too heavy engine."

"A sports car?" asked Yori.

"I guess," said Ron. "I saw something like this in an episode of CSI. I'm just repeating what they said."

"Ah," Yori said.

"Anyway, the guy with the black hair is Malcolm Needious," said Ron, pointing over towards Zita and Malcolm. "He was this nerd who trapped me and Zita in this video game one time and wouldn't let us out."

"And he is your friend now?" asked Yori.

"Not last time I checked, but I guess some things happened while I was gone. The girl next to him is Zita Flores... we used to date."

"Date?" Yori latched onto that topic like a vice. "You dated her before Possible-san?"

"Yeah, or I tried to anyway," said Ron. "I always got all stupid around her and we never managed to connect. After the Everlot thing I figured she was better off not knowing me."

"Everlot?"

"It's the video game Malcolm trapped us in."

"Why did you feel guilty for what Needious-san did?" asked Yori.

"It's a long story," said Ron, shrugging. "And the guy in the wheelchair is Felix Renton. He's probably my closest guy friend. Really cool dude, likes video games and zombie movies and all the neat stuff that Kim doesn't generally go for. You know, guy stuff."

"Guy stuff," repeated Yori. She was familiar with 'guy stuff' from Hideyoshi and Hirotaka, though with them it involved American food and bizarre contests of skill.

"His wheelchair is awesome," continued Ron. "Flies, shoots things, controls other electronics. Only problem is that he always seems to attract the attention of.." he trailed off. Then looked at the skid marks on the pavement again.

"Ron?" asked Yori.

"I think I know who kidnapped her," said Ron. He started running back towards the laboratory. "Kim!"

Inside the lab, Kim had just talking to the scientists when Ron came running in. "Kim!" he repeated. "I think I know who did it."

Kim nodded as he ran up. "Me too, the scientists gave a pretty definitive description."

"Motor Ed," they said in unison.

"Must have gotten tired of stealing the technology from Felix," said Ron.

"And he decided to go right to the source," continued Kim. She looked at Felix sympathetically. "Your mom."

"Well, at least I know she's probably safe as long as she builds whatever Motor Ed wants," said Felix. "Knowing mom she'd probably do it to buy time for us to find her."

"Still, he and Drakken built the DoomVee pretty quick," said Ron. "We may not have a lot of time before her usefulness runs out."

"The question is," Kim said. "How do we find out where Ed is hanging out now?"

Malcolm cleared his throat as he, Zita and Yori approached. "We might have a solution to that."

---------( KP )---------

It was more than a little crowded in Malcolm's room with the entirety of the extended Team Possible there, but they made due where they could, sitting on the bed, the dresser, a nightstand, or just hovering near the ceiling. After Malcolm's mother finished trying to offer them all something to eat or drink, then make comments about 'never getting to meet Malcolm's friends because they're all on the internet' she finally left. Zita started typing on Malcolm's computer while he turned to address everyone else.

"What are we doing here, Malcolm?" asked Ron before he could say anything.

"Okay, you know my dad does all these virtual reality and realistic imaging projects, right?" asked Malcolm. Kim and Ron nodded, so he continued. "Well he started working on this project for the Department of Transportation to build a real world virtual model of Middleton and the surrounding areas for a complex traffic analysis and regression equation."

Ron stared blankly. Above them, Felix shook his head. "So you can tell us what the traffic was like earlier today?"

"Well, yes," said Malcolm. "But that's not the only thing. See, the system needed real world data to work so it was connected to the network of intersection cameras all across the city and much of the suburbs. Using an image weighting system that my dad designed they were able to use the periodic pictures from the traffic cameras to trace the movements of _individual_ cars."

"You can tell us where the car that took Mrs. Renton went," Kim said, realizing what was going on.

"Sort of," said Malcolm, uneasily. He looked to Zita. "Start with today." She nodded and the screen changed to show a map of the area. Eight blue lines appeared on the map.

"That's where they went?" asked Ron, confused.

"These lines don't even connect," pointed out Kim.

"These are the movements of eight cars that match the general description of the car that Motor Ed used this morning," said Malcolm. "The research laboratory is outside the camera network, so we can't find the exact car, but these all originate or terminate near the facility."

"This doesn't help much," said Ron. "It'll take us forever to check all these places."

"It's not entirely useful by itself," said Malcolm. "Because all we're tracking is one event which is outside the camera network, so we have a lot of variables to consider. But we have another event we can track."

"We do?" asked Kim.

"I saw this Motor Ed at the library yesterday," said Yori. Kim and Ron looked at her, surprised. "In the city."

"Which is inside the network," said Malcolm. He turned back to the monitor and Zita typed again. A group of ten red lines emerged from a spot on the map. "These are all the cars that departed the library at the time Yori said Motor Ed left." One of the lines joined with one of the blue lines and ended just outside the city.

Malcolm pointed to the place where the red and blue lines ended. "There's your hideout," he said with a smile.

Kim and Ron both nodded, impressed. "Good job, Malcolm," said Kim.

"Thanks," he nearly blushed.

"Kim, Yori and I are going over there," said Ron. "The rest of you should stay here."

"I should come along in case you run into any cybtertronics," said Felix.

"It's not safe, you should stay, we can handle ourselves," said Ron.

"Ron," said Kim, quietly. "It's his mother."

"That doesn't make it less dangerous," said Ron. "We've handled things like this before. With Yori we should be more than capable of taking care of it."

"Who knows what we're going to run into in there," said Kim. "Felix has faced down Motor Ed before. You don't have to protect everybody, Ron."

"And you've faced down Gemini before, but look what happened to you!" Ron yelled, and immediately regretted it afterwards. Kim looked at him with narrowed eyes then turned to Felix.

"If you want to come, you can," said Kim. "We can use all the help we can get."

Ron looked away from Kim, not watching as she walked out of Malcolm's room. Felix hesitated but then followed after her. Malcolm was next, then Zita and Yori both moved to console Ron, noticed one another, stopped, then awkwardly left the room, leaving Ron behind.

---------( KP )---------

Dr. Cindy Renton had worked with a lot of quirky design teams before. In fact, one could say she worked with nothing but quirky design teams in her six years as a cyber-robotic expert. Apparently, for most people anyway, being well versed in mechanical engineering, intelligence and vision programming, as well as particle physics left little room in the brain for what could be considered 'average' social skills. Dr. Renton herself never really felt all that socially awkward, but then again, she realized not many people would ever make that comment about themselves anyway.

Still, of all the stuttering physicists, shy programmers, and outright macho engineers she'd worked with, the biker gang currently holding her hostage probably took the prize as the oddest of them all. Their leader, she presumed, was the man with the giant mullet and upper body like a ox. He called himself Motor Ed and appeared to have a very comprehensive knowledge of engineering and related fields. She figured he was the only one with an actual degree.

The lieutenant to the mullet was Hog, a good looking man who seemed to enjoy living way too much for someone not on drugs. He used positive reinforcement on everyone, even her (which she viewed as odd treatment for a hostage), and appeared to be genuinely pleased by every act of teamwork the band of builders demonstrated. He seemed to have a sixth sense for discomfort and had appeared out of nowhere with a cup of tea for her just when she was getting thirsty earlier. She found it pleasant enough, but if he started coming around to sharpen her pencil every time it went dull there would be words.

The next tier beneath the lieutenant were the two actual car service mechanics, the man named Dorothy and the silent giant named Axel. Dorothy fit the profile for the nervous, chattering, awkward type Dr. Renton had been well acquainted with. Excellent at some particular field and largely average at most others. The tall mute was the enigma. He had the skills of a grease monkey but never said a word, just taking orders and quickly and efficiently completing them. While Dorothy might descend into a gibbering pile in a crisis, Dr. Renton expected Axel would keep doing his job until the very end.

Finally at the bottom of the food chain in the group were the amateurs. Jig clearly had figured out most of her engine and car knowledge through trial and error or by being hanging around other mechanics long enough to pick up the skills. She knew enough to do a job but if there was a twist to the work, she needed guidance. Brick probably had even less experience but he was sharp and, strangely, naturally adept at the work he was asked to do. Of all the people in this gang of criminals, he was the only one who seemed to be figuring out the cyber-robotic parts Dr. Renton had provided. She was curious about him, and wished she could have met him in a different setting to get a better idea of his skill.

Of course, now she herself was part of this design team. She silently laughed at herself for being so critical about this group when she shouldn't care at all how good they were, only whether they were experienced kidnappers or not. If not, she'd hopefully be able to figure out a way to escape. If so, then she hoped the police were looking for her.

"Hey, cyber-robotics chick," Motor Ed walked up to her as she was scribbling up equations on a large desk plotter she'd been provided. "Can you get it to work?"

Cindy Renton shook her head for the third time. "It'll run but you can't use a high-mass generator like this, it'll cause a gravity fold then collapse even with cyber-robotic field attenuators."

"Nah, babe, listen," Motor Ed started, confidently. "If you focus the fold at the right distance from the car, it'll generate a field that will significantly reduce the real-world mass of the car allowing the jet engines to reach seriously gnarly speeds."

"Okay," Dr. Renton held up a finger. "First, I know this stuff backwards and forwards. Not even Dr. Possible is as versed as I am in using cyber-robotics in this manner. So there's no way I'm wrong about this. Second, even if this was Star Trek and you could encase your car in a gravity bubble, the entropy levels are too high. It WILL collapse when the entropy gets too high, probably at about 150 miles per hour."

"150mph is seriously weak sauce," said Motor Ed.

"I get it," said Dr. Renton, annoyed. "That's why I'm telling you it's gotta be done differently. The gravity fold won't remain stable at the speeds you want even if the pulse generator could create it, which I don't believe it can."

"What about working the magic manually?" asked Motor Ed.

"You couldn't keep up with it," said Dr. Renton, curtly. "After 112mph the variation will be so dramatic once you fixed it for one deviation it'd already be off again because of the next."

"What if you created multiple fields?"

Dr. Renton and Motor Ed turned to see Brick walking up with a piece of piping in his hand and a rag being used to polish it to a shine. Dr. Renton frowned. "What do you mean?"

"If you create two graviton shields or whatever it is you're talking about," said Brick. "You put up the second one behind around the first just as it's starting to fall apart. So you can just let the first one fail because the second one will take over. Then make the first one again before the second one fails. I mean, they're just energy, right? Motor Ed's engine generates plenty of that."

Dr. Renton furrowed her brow. "You can't..." she hesitated. "Even if the field generation was perfect you still couldn't... well, unless you took in account the... but then the second one would be in a stable environment so it _could_..." She started pacing back and forth. Then, after a minute, she ran back to the desk and scribbled several equations and notes on the designs there. With a nod, she spun and looked directly at Brick. "It could work. But what about the field emitters? With a cycled shield system they'd have to be exposed."

"You mean the thingys that make the gravi-sheild thing?" asked Brick. Dr. Renton nodded as if he'd described it perfectly. "Can't you just nudge each shield opposite directions so they overlap? So the first shield can protect the second thingy and the second shield protects the first thingy?"

"You can't overlap the gravity shields--" she stopped again. "But, we could create a magnetic field! An EM barrier that could push away any near-mass particles and make them hit the gravity shield. That's brilliant!" Dr. Renton was excited. "It might work, if you can get the gravity emitters to create a fold that won't collapse." She turned towards Ed. "Which was my original complaint, by the way."

"Sweet. So it'll work," nodded Motor Ed.

"It might," said Dr. Renton, but her eyes lit up with anticipation. "If it does, though, subtle variations in the field generation could allow flight. Even zero-gravity flight, at an _incredibly_ low payload." She suddenly laughed and then scribbled for several more minutes on the designs. She held them up and looked at them with a smile. "Ha-HAH! James will never believe this when he sees it!"

"So it'll work," repeated Motor Ed.

Dr. Renton looked at Motor Ed with a raised brow. "It'll take time to calibrate, like, a LONG time, but yeah, it's possible that it'll work."

"Then let's get to work." Ed snatched the plans from Dr. Renton then turned back towards his crew that were working at the roadster's electrical system.

"No, no, no," said Dr. Renton, holding up her hands. "Wait, wait, you don't understand." She motioned to the garage around her. "We can't do it _here_. We need a lab... _my lab_ to calibrate this. We need some of the best field theorists in the nation here to look at the simulations and--"

"We'll just give it a go, see what happens, and adjust if necessary," said Ed over his shoulder, continuing to walk.

"NO! You can't do that!" insisted Dr. Renton, running after him. "A field collapse could tear a hole in the world, you can't just trial and error this!"

"It'll be fine, doll, we're careful," said Ed.

"I won't help you do this!" yelled Dr. Renton. "I won't put the whole city in danger!"

Ed stopped, then turned and faced Dr. Renton. "You'll help us, babe, or we'll do it without you. You seriously don't want us to try doing this without you, do you?"

Dr. Renton's eyes went wide. "You can't be serious."

"Babe, I'm totally serious," said Ed. Then walked away.

Dr. Renton trembled slightly then turned toward Brick, who'd been watching silently. "You can't let him do this, we'll all die! Everyone in Middleton will die!"

Brick frowned slightly, helplessly. "What can I do?" he shrugged. "He's not going to stop even if I ask him. And I think Hog will follow him anywhere."

"You have to do something," insisted Dr. Renton. "You understand what might happen, don't you? You seem to know more than you let on."

"I really don't," said Brick. "I just like machines."

"Then you understand that if that machine is turned on without proper calibration, it will be the equivalent of a nuclear bomb, except instead of exploding, it will suck everything into a single point."

Brick blinked and looked down. "A black hole," he said sullenly.

"_Yes_," said Dr. Renton.

Brick seemed conflicted then looked up again. "There's nothing we can do," he said. "He'll keep going without either of us if he needs to. But he stands a better chance at succeeding if we help."

"The chance of success is less than one hundredth of one percent," said Dr. Renton. "We can't just escape, we have to stop him from trying." She looked sideways at Brick. "You're with me on this, right? You understand enough to know this is madness?"

Brick looked away for several minutes before turning back. "Yeah, I understand," he said. "But what do you want me to do?"

"Sabotage it," said Dr. Renton. "He'll be watching me now, but you can prevent the gravity generators from turning on."

"He'll figure it out eventually," said Brick. "He's way smarter than me."

Dr. Renton sighed, and looked straight into Brick's eyes. "Then we need help."

---------( KP )---------

Across the garage, attaching lead conduits on the roadster's frame from the engine compartment to the emitter areas, Jig watched discretely as Brick and Dr. Renton seemed to be having a thoughtful conversation. Dr. Renton was clearly not fully on board with the Roadster project, based on what Jig overheard from her argument with Motor Ed. And Brick... he seemed like a simpleton, easily led and convinced into action. The way they were talking, Dr. Renton was trying to convince Brick of something, which meant trouble.

Jig liked cars, trucks, bikes, boats, planes, anything that went _fast_. The faster, the better. This project was like a dream come true for her, to work with the legendary Motor Ed on a Roadster that would break every speed record ever imagined. It surpassed passion in her mind and became religion. She would give everything she had to see this project to fruition, the culmination of all of her passions.

She would also do anything possible to protect it from heathens.

She marked the spots on the frame where the conduit she was aligning would need to be welded. As she worked, though, she kept one eye always on either Brick or Dr. Renton.

---------( KP )---------

The extended Team Possible looked out at the building from around the corner of a nearby warehouse. Felix had produced a screen showing the thermal readings from the building out of his wheelchair and they were all now referencing the screen to figure out a plan of attack.

"It looks like there are seven of them in there," said Malcolm, counting on the screen. "Assuming this guy here doesn't have two heads."

"Two are girls," said Zita, looking closely. "I think. That must mean one of these two is your mother, Felix."

Felix nodded, but was finding it hard to concentrate on the planning. He knew they absolutely could not go barging in there without a strategy, but he was finding it hard to think of anything other than the danger his mother might be in.

"Well, if that's true, it means your mother is up and walking around," said Malcolm. "So she probably isn't hurt. Doesn't even look like she's restrained."

"Must be mind control," said Felix.

"Probably not, buddy," said Ron, looking skeptically at Felix. "Not really Motor Ed's MO. More likely the six of them figure they could grab her if she tried to run."

"I'll take a closer look through a window," said Yori, reaching into her pocket and producing a pair of small black strips with three small hooks on each. She wrapped them over her palms. "I'll be right back."

"Be careful," said Ron.

Yori smiled then leapt onto the warehouse and gracefully climbed straight up to the roof.

"Wow," said Kim.

"Agile girl, isn't she?" commented Malcolm.

"Six to six is pretty good odds," commented Zita. "Though I'm not sure how much help I can provide in the fighting area. Video games notwithstanding."

"Me neither," added Malcolm.

"Motor Ed's henchmen have never been very bright," said Felix, forcing himself to concentrate. "And they typically give up if we can get to Ed."

"Felix is right," said Kim. "If we can outsmart them, we can focus on Motor Ed and the rest shouldn't matter. He likes to focus on his vehicles, so keep them from the cars and we'll have an easier time of it."

"Also it'll keep them from escaping," said Ron. "They're good at that too."

"I'll go after my mom," said Felix. "You guys go after Ed."

Ron and Kim looked at one another then nodded in unison. "Okay," said Kim.

Yori dropped down from ... somewhere, and looked up at Ron. "There are indeed seven of them inside. Five men, three of which appear very strong, one woman with the gang, and a nicely dressed woman that I assume is your mother, Renton-san."

"What are they doing in there?" asked Felix.

"Building a car," said Yori. "There are many parts of cars inside and they are all focused on one car that is in the process of being made. Your mother is working with them, as far as I could tell." She considered her report then added, "I saw no weapons inside, either, although many of the men appear strong enough that any object in their hands can be a weapon."

"Sounds scary," said Malcolm, unnerved by the image of burly men wielding wrenches and attacking them.

"Which one is my mom?" asked Felix, pointing to the screen.

Yori leaned in and after a second pointed to one of the blob-like red shapes on the screen. "This one is the well dressed woman."

"What does the other woman look like?" asked Malcolm.

"Green hair that stands on end with a white shirt and pants," said Yori.

"Ah, no confusion there, then."

"Felix you should come in from this side of the building, probably through this window, since it'll put you close to your mom," said Kim, pointing at the screen. "Ron and I will come in from here, on the opposite end to draw attention away from you, while Yori comes in through the roof. Malcolm and Zita, you two should follow Felix in and help get his mother free and escape."

"Are you two going to be alright drawing everyone's attention?" asked Malcolm. "It puts you in a lot of danger."

"No big," said Kim. "Six guys is far from the worse I've seen. You three just focus on getting out Mrs. Renton."

"Thanks, Kim," said Felix sincerely.

"We'll get her out of there," assured Kim.

---------( KP )---------

Axel was the first to notice, although it was hard to determine when. Hog noticed his anxious staring out the windows before anyone else did, and it was impossible to tell how long he'd been doing it.

"Axel," said Hog, walking over. "What's wrong?"

Axel pointed out the window and Hog squinted to see what he was staring at. The area outside of Middleton that their garage was located in was largely depressed. Several warehouses and old abandoned apartment buildings stood like sentinels on either side of the streets, signs of an earlier failed effort at revitalization, turning an old industrial district into a trendy area for post-grads.

A slight bit of movement caught Hog's eye and he saw them, peeking their heads out slightly from around a corner. "Them?" asked Hog, frowning.

Axel nodded.

"Mas--Motor Ed!" called Hog, waving their leader over.

After a minute, Ed walked over. "What are you guys lookin' at?" he asked, peering out the window now too.

"There are some people out there," said Hog. "Axel spotted them... uh, earlier."

Motor Ed shook his head then walked over to a toolbox and pulled out a survey tool with a small telescope on it. He peered through it at the group down the street. He saw a few kids he didn't recognize and was about to dismiss it when he caught a quick glimpse of the redhead.

"Kim Possible," Motor Ed said, frowning.

"That kid hero?" asked Hog. He squinted to see if he could make her out but the group had entirely vanished.

"We need to move," said Motor Ed. He turned to face the rest of the shop. "Wrap it up, everyone! We're changing garages!"

The crew and Dr. Renton looked at him like he had a second head. Hog stepped up next to Motor Ed.

"Come on, everyone, we gotta move quick!" Hog called out. "Jig and Dorothy, pack up what you need and as much gear as you can into the pickup! Axel, Brick, you two take Dr. Renton in the muscle car. Ed and I will take the Roadster on the tow truck. Go, go, GO!"

The shop exploded into action as everyone moved at once to start packing up all their gear. Motor Ed turned away from the action and moved to a large oil drum and lifted it onto his shoulder. He then picked up a hose and a compressor in his other hand and headed towards the door.

Brick quickly made his way over to Dr. Renton and began guiding her towards the black car in which she was first kidnapped in. Axel lifted several large pieces of equipment and dropped them into the trunk of the car before getting into the back seat himself.

"Where are we going?" asked Dr. Renton.

Brick shook his head. "I don't know but something must have gone wrong if Motor Ed is packing up shop. Maybe police or something looking for you."

"Me..." started Dr. Renton, then she looked back at Brick. "No, they can't come for me unless they get the engine too."

"I... don't think that's going to be their first--"

"He can't be left alone with that thing!" yelled Dr. Renton before opening her door and jumping out of the car, running towards the tow truck.

"Wait!" called Brick. "Come back!" He and Axel quickly started to get out of the car when all hell broke loose.

The door in the corner of the garage facing the street suddenly burst open and Kim and Ron came storming in. "Race's over, Motor Ed!" called out Kim. "Hand over--"

"No, not yet!" called Dr. Renton, who was running between the black muscle car and the toe truck.

"Huh?" said Kim as she saw her race past. "Wait! We're here to rescue--"

"LOOK OUT!" said Ron grabbing Kim and jumping to the side just in time to avoid a deluge of black shooting towards them from above. Ron protected Kim with his body as he looked up to see Motor Ed in the rafters above with a oil drum strapped to his back and hose leading out of it connected to a gun-like nozzle.

"Ron! Get off me!" scrambled Kim as she tried to get to her feet. "It's just oil!"

Then Motor Ed tossed a lighter into the stream and his gun starting spitting out liquid fire. Ron and Kim scattered to get away from the quickly creeping inferno.

"Move! Get out of here!" called Motor Ed to the floor as he directed his spray to follow Kim.

Like thunder, the pickup started and roared, then crashed through one of the garage doors and into the street leaving a gaping hole. It was the only car that moved, however, because Brick and Axel were racing across the shop floor after Dr. Renton as she headed for the pickup.

Hog, who had been climbing into the truck, looked over after Dr. Renton's outburst and stared in confusion. "What are you doing?" he asked, confused.

"I need to stay with the engine!" called out Dr. Renton.

"What?" Hog yelled with incredulity. Then his eyes rose slightly and he made a panicked face. "Look out!"

Axel then hit the floor before he could turn as Felix plowed him over with his wheelchair, dead set on going after his mom. Malcolm and Zita were running behind him, but quickly losing ground. As they jumped over the fallen Axel he reached up and grabbed the ankle of Zita who hit the ground hard and let out a yelp.

"Zita!" Malcolm said turning slightly, conflicted on whether to turn back or go after Felix.

Brick, who had a little advance notice as Felix came up behind him, was better prepared and jumped and tackled the flying wheelchair just as it was about to flatten him. The chair flew wildly for a moment before crashing with Brick and Felix caught in a struggle.

Meanwhile Ron and Kim were scrambling back and forth, caught in the corner by the flame being constantly fed by the Motor Ed up above. They could hear things going poorly on the other side of the wall of fire but could see next to nothing.

"We gotta go around!" yelled Kim, pointing back at the door they came in from.

"It'll take too long!" Ron replied, wiping the sweat from his face. "We gotta help them now!" He turned towards the fire and ran to left, away from Kim, then cut towards the towering flame. He held his arms in front of his face as he rushed towards the fire.

"Ron! No!" called Kim. But her outburst drew the attention of Motor Ed who shot the flaming oil towards her, forcing her behind cover again.

A second later, however, the oil flew wildly, covering the far wall in flames then arcing all across the one side of the garage. Kim ventured a look to see what was happening and saw that Yori had finally descended and was fighting with Motor Ed, who was waving his flaming oil gun around while she dodged deftly. Unfortunately, the splatter from their fight was quickly setting the whole garage on fire. Kim searched the flames as they began to die down without constant fuel but couldn't see Ron anywhere.

By the tow truck, Dr. Renton had finally reached Hog and was forcing herself into the cab.

"Are you crazy?!" asked Hog as he let her climb over him and into the passenger seat. "Are you actually running away from your rescuers?"

"I'm not going anywhere unless this engine is with me!" said Dr. Renton, angrily. "That means either we both leave here or we're both going down here!" She reached for the keys for the pickup, hoping to steal them away.

"Well, I choose the former," said Hog, easily swatting down Dr. Renton's attempts at attacking him and starting the tow truck with his free hand. He pushed the doctor down hard then grabbed the passenger seatbelt and wrapped it around her tightly, tying her arms against her chest. She screamed as it pinched her skin but kept her from moving more than her legs which couldn't quite get the right angle to kick Hog in the groin.

Hog quickly peeked his head out the window, looking up at the catwalk and banged twice hard on the side of the truck. "Lets, go, Master!" he called out loudly then put the tow truck in gear and floored it.

On the shop floor, Malcolm was doing his best to beat on Axel as he kept a vice-like grip on Zita's ankle. Unfortunately, even his hardest attacks seemed to barely faze Axel, who was busy trying to keep Zita from clawing out his eyes. Fortunately, while he was dodging attacks from Zita and keeping his back turned to Malcolm he wasn't doing any attacking of his own, which Malcolm was sure would be devastating to either of them. The slowly approaching fire raining from above, however, was putting a definite time limit on how long they could ineffectually pound on Axel.

"YAAAAAAA!" came a scream from the fire when suddenly Ron emerged from the flames, partly on fire, and rushed to slam directly into the small of Axel's back, causing them both to hit the ground hard and Zita to slip free.

Zita scrambled away as soon as she had the chance and Malcolm helped her up to enable them to get away. Ron, on the other hand, immediately rolled off of Axel as they hit the ground and tried to put out the flames on his clothes. Axel was still clearly moving, but slowly as he tried to get back up onto his feet.

Felix, against the far wall where the garage doors were, was clinging to Brick with his life, getting a free hand every now and then to effect a punch on him. Brick, on the other hand, was strongly conflicted over beating up on a handicapped boy, but his quickly bruising chin was starting to insist he do _something_ to the kid.

"How could you do this to my mom, Brick!" yelled Felix in his fury. "We went to school together!"

"We did?" said Brick, surprised. He wasn't really good with names or faces. "Wait, Dr. Renton is your mom?"

Felix didn't let up his onslaught, and now Brick was bleeding from his mouth. "YES!" yelled Felix, swinging wildly now. His wheelchair had been thrown aside earlier so all he had was his arms to try to beat Brick.

"Woah, man, wait, I'm trying to help your mom!" yelled Brick.

Felix swung lower, trying for a more sensitive area on Brick, but only managed jab at his stomach. "How are you helping my mom by brainwashing her?!" he cried.

"No, no you got it all wrong, man," said Brick, trying to free himself from Felix, hoping that without legs the man wouldn't be able to chase after him.

"She ran away from me! She wouldn't do that!" insisted Felix in his rage.

"She's trying to keep the engine from turning into a bomb and destroying the city!" yelled Brick. "If Motor Ed gets away with the engine he'll blow everyone up! She has to go with them to stop them! "

Felix hesitated, and looked into Brick's not-swollen eye. "What do you mean?" he asked, frowning.

Up in the catwalk, Motor Ed was having a hard time keeping the mere slight of a woman with him down. She was fast, small, and seemed to weave in and out of the rafters at the top of the garage like it was flat ground, while Ed himself was having trouble moving from one I-beam to another.

"Wow, girl, you are one dexterous lady," he said, pulling the oil can off his back and holding it ready in his hands. He brought the flaming nozzle around and held I beside the can. "Stay away or I'll jam this in here and blow us up."

Yori said nothing, but menacingly advanced forward.

Motor Ed heard the roar of the engine of the tow truck starting to leave. He looked down to see it moving beneath him, the cab already moving out of reach but the roadster being towed behind was still close enough.

"Man, this has seriously been a bad day," he said, then shoved the nozzle into the oil drum and threw it towards Yori. With a turn he leaped from the rafters and landed hard on the roof of the roadster's frame just as it began to pick up speed.

Yori, seeing the approaching bomb, pulled out a fan and slashed the drum with its claw-like tips, causing the oil to leak out quickly and hopefully reduce the available fuel for the explosion. Then she dove down to the floor to get away. As soon as she was about to touch the concrete flooring the remains of the oil drum exploded in the rafters above and began raining fire on everyone. She flung herself aside to avoid the spilling oil directly above her.

Everyone left in the garage took cover from the spilling flames. Ron rolled further away, just barely putting out the flames on his clothes as Zita and Malcolm ducked inside of the empty frame of a minivan. Kim, who had managed to breach the wall of fire without setting herself aflame like Ron, grabbed Axel and threw him to safety as to not get covered in the flaming oil.

As everyone looked out from their cover at the burning garage they all couldn't help but notice the burning wheelchair in the corner.

"Felix!" called Zita in panic.

Then the roar of another engine sounded and everyone looked to see the black muscle car come to life and speed out of the garage with Brick and Felix inside.

Another explosion suddenly rocked the garage and Kim realized that there were other sources of fuel in the building other than what had previously been strapped to Motor Ed's back.

"We gotta get out of here!" yelled Kim as she started ushering people out. The extended Team Possible fled at all possible speed with Axel in tow and managed to get out before the ceiling of the garage collapsed and the whole building became a fiery wreck.

---------( KP )---------

It was late night by the time Kim, Ron, and Yori made it back to Kim's place. After the ordeal at the garage, the questions from the fire department, everyone being treated for burns, questions from the police, making sure the strangely enigmatic Axel was taken into custody, reporting that now both Mrs. Renton and Felix had been kidnapped by Motor Ed, and getting Malcolm and Zita back to their homes, the trio was completely exhausted.

Mrs. Dr. Possible provided everyone some drinks when they entered, then withheld them when she smelled the fumes, and insisted they all change. A few minutes later they all reconvened again to discuss the disaster of a day. It was not a very lively discussion.

"I can't believe we went to rescue Mrs. Renton and ended up getting Felix captured," said Kim, exasperated.

"We did capture one of theirs," reminded Yori. "Though he appears to be mute."

"Apparently he didn't even know where they were going anyway," said Ron. "At least based on what he seemed to be implying to the police. Motor Ed packed everyone up and fled in a panic, so they could be out searching for a place to hide even now."

"We should ask Needious-san if his cameras picked up their trail," suggested Yori.

"I doubt they headed further into the city," said Kim. "What was Mrs. Renton thinking? Running away from us?"

"Maybe she _was_ brainwashed," said Ron.

"Only if he was working with Drakken," said Kim. "And he's still in GJ prison as far as I know."

"There could be another motivation," said Yori. "I though I heard someone speak of a bomb."

"A bomb?" said Ron, nervous. "When?"

"During the fight," said Yori. "Though I do not know who said it or to whom."

"Motor Ed isn't the type to use a bomb either," said Kim, thoroughly confused. "Though I guess I wouldn't expect Mrs. Renton to run towards her kidnappers either, unless she has some sort of bizarre Stockholm syndrome, in which case: Ewww."

"I do not think guessing will improve our strategy," said Yori. "Our fatigue is also not improving our analysis. Perhaps we should reconvene tomorrow and discuss with Malcolm and Zita."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," said Kim. She stood and stretched. "At least we know that Mrs. Renton is physically okay, if not mentally. Also, the worse thing we've seen Motor Ed do on his own is steal car parts, so I doubt the world is in much danger. I just hope Felix is safe."

"Me too," Ron chimed in agreement. He stood as well and motioned towards the door. Yori headed out but Ron stopped at the doorway and turned around to face Kim.

"Kim--" he started.

"Not now, Ron," said Kim, tired.

"I know," he shook his head. "I was just going to say... well... goodnight."

Kim made a meager smile and nodded. "Goodnight, Ron."

Ron nodded back then turned and slowly left.

"Ron."

He turned around quickly to see Kim looking at him intently.

"Thanks for pushing me out of the way of that oil," said Kim softly.

Ron raised his brow.

"I could have been burned alive."

Kim glanced away once but then returned her gaze.

Ron smiled brightly. "See you tomorrow, KP," he said, then turned and left.


	7. Episode 3: Forgotten Dreams PART IV

----------------

Disney's Kim Possible in

**Apocolocyntosis**

By Adam Leigh

Episode 3:

"Forgotten Dreams"

----------------

PART IV

---------( KP )---------

Dr. Cindy Renton kneeled before her son who had been placed in a folding chair in the new hideout/garage. She checked his face and hands, noting the bruises on them, and quickly applied the bandages this hideout had strangely been stocked to the ceiling with.

"I'm okay, mom," said Felix, as he had said many times since she started doting on him. "There are other things to worry about."

"I'm so, so sorry you got dragged into this," said Dr. Renton.

"I understand, ma," said Felix. He smiled at her. "Don't worry, I know you did what you had to do. I would have done the same. Trust me, I've had my run-ins with this guy over the years."

"You have?" asked his mother, surprised. "You've met Motor Ed before?"

"He's stolen my wheelchair from me a few times," he said. "Kim and I usually get it back. He's a bit obsessed with cyber-robotics."

"Apparently so," nodded Dr. Renton. "I thought he looked me up in the phone book, though."

"He probably knew you from me," said Felix. "I guess it's me who dragged you into this."

Dr. Renton looked sadly at her son then embraced him. "I'll get us out of this, sweetheart."

"We'll get out together," said Felix, patting his mom on the back.

Dr. Renton broke the embrace and looked back around the hideout. This was apparently some sort of timeshare evil lair thing that Motor Ed said his cousin owned but was currently not using. Motor Ed and Hog were unloading the roadster while Jig and Dorothy were unpacking the remaining equipment and supplies. Brick was lifting the heavy gear that Axel had dumped into the back of the muscle car before getting himself captured by Kim Possible.

"So what's the deal with the engine?" asked Felix. "Brick said that if it's not configured right it could blow up or something."

"It's not that simple, but, yeah, it'd have the same effect," said Dr. Renton. "I'm not sure that it CAN be configured properly. At least not without years of research and analysis."

"Which Motor Ed is not going to wait for," Felix finished for her. "He said he'd just turn it on if you didn't help or something?"

"He's going to try to calibrate it himself through trial and error," said Dr. Renton scornfully. "But after the first error there won't be much left to try."

"Can't you sabotage it?" asked Felix.

"He's watching me too closely. But Brick on the other hand..."

"I can't believe my mom has teamed up with Brick Flagg, the high school quarterback," said Felix, shaking his head. "It's like some bizzaro dimension."

"You know Brick as well?" asked Dr. Renton. "Do you know the rest?"

"No," Felix shook his head. "Just Brick since we went to school together. He's a bit dull; took seven years to graduate."

"He's smarter than he seems," said Dr. Renton.

"You're kidding," Felix said plainly.

"I'm serious. He has a fundamental understanding of a diverse range of mechanics that surprised me." She looked over at Brick setting up a welding torch. "He's missing some of the basics, but he gets the more complex concepts."

"You're saying Brick Flagg is some sort of idiot savant?" Felix was skeptical.

"He, at least, has a better understanding of engineering than the civics," said Dr. Renton. "I think he's the best chance we have at stopping this."

Felix didn't look confident but nodded all the same. "All right, if you trust him. I would have preferred Kim, though." His mother smiled and then went back to applying band aids to his scratches and burns.

---------( KP )---------

Wednesday morning seemed to come instantly for Kim, who managed to roll herself out of bed and into school just prior to the second bell for homeroom.

"Warmed over, much?" asked Monique looking at her friend's bleary eyes.

"I couldn't get much sleep," Kim groaned. "I smelled those fumes in my hair all night. I must have taken five showers and still couldn't get rid of the stink."

Monique blinked then leaned slightly closer and sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything," she commented.

"You can't smell that? Like gasoline and burnt plastic," said Kim.

Monique shook her head.

"Don't tell me it's just me," said Kim, burying her head in her hands. "I can't go crazy now, it's not even prom yet."

Monique laughed.

"It's in your nose."

Kim looked up suddenly, startled by the close sound and saw Dr. Rick looking down at her and Monique. "What?" said Kim.

"The smoke fumes bonded with little bits of your burnt and melted skin and hair," explained Rick. "Then the tiny pieces got stuck in your nose. So you're the only one who can smell it strongly."

"That sucks," said Monique.

"How did you--" started Kim.

"Huge fire in the old industrial district and you come in smelling of burnt plastic," said Rick. He grinned. "I can figure out mysteries too, you know."

"I can't smell anything," said Monique.

"I've got a sensitive sense of smell for certain things," said Rick, touching the tip of his nose. "And not all the coconut shampoo in the world can cover up the smell of burnt hair." He held out an envelope for Kim. "Here."

"What's this?" she asked, taking it suspiciously.

"Mr. Henderson dropped it off for me to give to you this morning, since you weren't around to find out yesterday afternoon." Rick headed back to his desk at the front of the class.

"Henderson?" asked Kim, frowning. She opened the envelope and read the page enclosed inside printed on blue paper. "Oh, I got the part of Christine!"

"Congrats, girl," said Monique.

"Hmm..." Kim read further. "Bonnie got the part of Carlotta."

"Isn't she the rival for Raoul's affections?" asked Monique with a raised brow. "Kinda odd, considering the way you two act towards one another."

"Almost like we were given roles that matched our personalities," said Kim slowly.

"You don't think Mr. Henderson..."

"No, I know Mr. Henderson is serious about the drama club," said Kim. "But Bonnie on the other hand..."

"All right everyone," Dr. Rick called from the front of the room. "I'm going to do roll call, so please speak up when you hear your name. Abigail."

"Here."

Monique leaned in closer to Kim and spoke softly. "What's the status on the Stoppable situation?"

"We didn't get a chance to talk with the mission and all," whispered Kim back. "But we did put everything aside when we were working."

"Just don't table it forever," said Monique, shaking her head. "That's how bigger issues develop."

"We won't," said Kim. "We're going to talk about it today."

"We'll see," said Monqiue, who then paused. Her eyes went wide. "NOW I smell it!" She was quiet for a second. "That does smell awful."

"Thanks," Kim buried her head again in her arms.

"Kim?" called Dr. Rick, looking into his register.

"Here," she called drolly into her desk.

---------( KP )---------

"So," said Mr. Barkin surveying his class. "It _seems_ some of you spent a great deal of time reading Hamlet last week, from the size of these reports on the play." He paced slowly back and forth before the class like a shark, waving the stack of papers towards his audience. "Though I believe that there may have been some misunderstanding as to what qualifies as an accurate interpretation of the bard's great work."

Barkin narrowed his eyes. "Reiger? I take it from your description of Hamlet and his relationship with his mother that you watched the Mel Gibson movie directed by Zeffirelli. Far from a reliable translation, you certainly could have tried harder. Also, I should warn you, I think you got your source material mixed up since you mentioned a scene from Lethal Weapon."

The class laughed momentarily until Barkin picked up another paper and read the name off of it. "Clark?" He looked around the classroom for the face that looked up and then stared him down.

"Based on your critical analysis of the voiceover for the play I gather you watched the black and white movie directed by Laurence Olivier. While I agree with your opinion that the narration was overwrought and reductive, it would have been entirely absent had you actually read the novel. I'll give you credit for at least trying to find a closer adaptation than Reiger, though."

The class didn't laugh that time because they had started to get the impression that this was going to be a long, slow march to the gallows.

"Bickers? While the Kenneth Branagh film does indeed contain every line of dialog from the original play, the flashbacks to Hamlet's escapades with Ophelia in the past, while needlessly salacious, are actually additions, and again wouldn't have been present if you'd actually read the book."

Barkin scanned his eyes over the class.

"Stoppable?"

Ron picked his head up from his desk slowly and gazed through bleary eyes. He didn't get nearly as much sleep as he'd hoped. Somehow he'd gotten into a weird state where he was too exhausted to sleep, which he had previously thought was impossible. When he finally did get to sleep he'd gone back to the dreamscape to try and read more of the documents left behind by whoever owned that room at the bottom of the staircase. His fatigue dogged him through all his readings and when the words began to swim in his vision he reluctantly returned to his body where he got, in his estimates, a little more than an hour of sleep before it was time to go to school.

"We aren't keeping you up, are we?"

Ron shook his head.

"Johnson?" Barkin continued. "The Lion King is a homage to Hamlet, not an adaptation, a simple name swap did not pull the wool over my eyes," said Barkin. He paused. "Though the pig and meerkat being Rosencrantz and Guildenstern was an angle I hadn't realized before. Still, enlightening me to the parallels between the two stories was not the objective of the assignment."

"Uh, Mr. Barkin?" Ron interrupted.

"What is it, Stoppable?"

"Are you going to be teaching English for the rest of the year?"

"Mr. Barnesweather's appendix exploded while grading these reports, an illness I'm told is not caused by stress, however he took the opportunity to use some of his long stored vacation time and will not be returning for at least another month."

"Oh," sagged Ron.

---------( KP )---------

For the first time since the assault on Gemini's hideout in September, Kim and Ron sat at the same table at lunch. Both of them had acted on autopilot for the most part as neither of them felt particularly well prepared for the day. They were each surprised that they had sat together but even as Kim started to open her mouth to finally begin the conversation she'd put off for nearly a week now, Zita and Malcolm sat down.

"Wow, you two have seen better days," said Zita. She took the seat next to Ron, and Malcolm took the seat between Zita and Kim. Zita looked towards Ron. "Are you feeling alright?"

"A little tired," Ron murmured. He was trying to look Kim in the eyes while being elusive at the same time. It was making him dizzy.

"Yeah, me too," Kim said, with just as much gusto.

"I thought you guys were used to this?" said Zita before biting in to a piece of pizza.

"I haven't been sleeping well," Ron said, offering little more explanation.

"Well, this isn't the time to be off your game," said Zita. "Not considering the stakes were raised last night."

Ron and Kim stared back.

"Felix," reminded Malcolm. Ron and Kim immediately felt guilty for not realizing that themselves and nodded their heads in unison.

"Felix is pretty resourceful," said Ron. "If I know him he's going to try to escape or create an opportunity for us to rescue him."

"Which means we need to be watching for it," said Kim. "Malcolm were you able to trace them using the street camera thing?"

Malcolm shook his head. "They were already close to the border of the system and they quickly left the network of cameras. I saw generally what direction they left in but they could have gone anywhere after that." He paused and scratched his head for a second. "If we had access to satellite imagery I might be able to do more."

Ron sighed. "Wade could hack into it, but I guess he's missing," he said. He and Kim exchanged a pained expression.

"Do you know anyone else who might have access to that sort of stuff?" asked Zita. "Kim, what about your dad? He works at the space center."

"He works in the propulsion labs," said Kim. "While he's an administrator, he wouldn't have the security clearance to get access to the military's satellites. Not legitimately anyway."

"Okay, so what about someone else? Does anyone know someone who has access to up-to-date military imaging?"

Kim and Ron looked solemnly down, seemingly in mourning, until Kim suddenly raised her head. "GJ."

"Who now?" asked Malcolm.

"Global Justice has access to that," said Kim. "In fact, they have access to a lot more. They might know exactly where Motor Ed is."

"Cool," said Zita. "Do you know someone there who will help us?"

"In fact, we do," said Ron, nodding. "Let's go."

Kim and Ron got up and started collecting their garbage. Zita followed suit seconds later. Malcolm frowned. "Are we skipping the second half of classes again?"

"It's okay, you don't have to come along," said Kim. "We're just going to talk to someone."

Zita coughed and moved closer to Malcolm so she could grab his collar. "I think we'll both come along," she said.

Malcolm reluctantly stood and picked up his tray. "Yeah, I know, I'll come. 'For great justice' and all."

---------( KP )---------

Brick carefully sat Felix down on the wheelchair and took a step back. "Sorry about this," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know how to build a motorized one ... well, I have an idea, but I don't have the time. I hope this will do."

Felix looked at the wheelchair and spun around briefly in a circle. He nodded once to Brick, "Pretty solid. Thanks."

"It's the least I can do," said Brick looking awkwardly back and forth.

"It's okay," said Felix. "I don't hold you responsible. Mom told me you've done everything you could to keep her safe."

"I was just trying to get some work experience," said Brick, looking over to where Dr. Renton was working on the cyber-robotic components with Motor Ed looking over her shoulder. "I didn't know he was a criminal, or that he'd fought Kim Possible."

"That's going to work to our advantage, though. Kim knows Motor Ed and how he works. She'll figure out where we are and try again to stop him. We just need to delay him long enough for her to get the chance."

Brick shook his head. "He's got an idea that your mom is going to try to sabotage the graviton-thing. I'm not sure how, but it's going to be hard to hold things up now."

"What about on your end?" asked Felix. "Is there a way to hold up the other parts of the car? Frame or chassis or drivetrain or something?"

Brick looked at Felix skeptically.

"What?" asked Felix. "I really don't know anything about cars." He looked slightly embarrassed.

Brick scratched his head then shrugged. "I might be able to do something. The cyber parts of the car are only going to kick in after it passes a 100 miles per hour. Before then it's just a normal car. Some timing or alignment issues could get it to stop before then."

"Great," said Felix. "I'll let my mom know."

Brick nodded absently.

"You know," said Felix. "It's weird, but we went to school together for a whole year but it took being kidnapped for us to actually talk to each other."

"It's not so weird," admitted Brick. "You ran with Possible's crew. Bonnie really didn't want me seen talking with those guys."

"Bonnie Rockwaller?" said Felix. "And you just... went along with that?"

"She was my girlfriend," said Brick.

"So she's not anymore?"

"Nah," said Brick. "I mean, she was my high school chick. I have to find an associate's school chick now."

Felix shook his head. "Idiot savant doesn't quite cut it," he muttered.

---------( KP )---------

Kim stared at the large metal door with an arched brow while the rest of the extended Team Possible stood behind her at the Global Justice Middleton HQ.

"Any luck over there?" ventured Kim loudly.

"Sorry," the voice over the loudspeaker said. "We're having trouble tracking Dr. Director down for the approval."

Zita stepped closer to Kim. "These are the guys that are supposed to be keeping track of all villains?" she asked quietly.

Kim turned slightly towards Zita. "They had a bit of a setback recently," she whispered.

"What kind of setback?"

"They were bombed," said Kim.

"_Bombed_?" asked Zita, suddenly nervous. "There isn't any chance... you know, that it might happen again, is there?"

"We captured Gemini and Drakken," said Kim. "It shouldn't."

"'Shouldn't' doesn't really make me feel much better," sighed Zita.

"Best I can do," said Kim.

"Stand back," the voice suddenly said. The large door began to creak then open slowly to the sides accompanied by slight grinding noises and the dull rumbling of gears. As Team Possible watched, the doors parted to reveal a woman in a skirt-suit with long brown wavy hair and a pair of frameless glasses. She was holding a collection of envelopes in her hands that were just small enough for her to grip casually.

"Jennifer," said Kim, surprised. Jennifer Cartwright was the acting director of Global Justice when Dr. Director was incapacitated last year during the Gemini attack. She'd initially seemed reluctant to help Kim find and capture Gemini but showed up anyway to clean up after things were almost done. Or at least that's what Kim had heard seeing as she was equally incapacitated at the time.

"Hello again, Kim," said Jennifer, formally but with a kind smile. "It's been a while."

"Not too long," said Kim. She stepped forward and they shook hands, Jennifer carefully shifting the stack of folders to tuck under the crook of her shoulder. "I'm surprised you're still here. Is Dr. Director alright?"

"Betty is fine," Jennifer nodded. "The role of second-in-command has recently fallen on someone else's shoulders so I no longer have to worry about being in a separate facility as her. She is, however, not here right now, so I figured I'd come greet you."

"Busy saving the world?" offered Ron with a smirk.

"Something like that," Jennifer said casually. "By the way, welcome back, Ron. I hope your trip to Japan was worth it."

Ron looked uncomfortable, glanced once at Yori, then shrugged. "It was ... enlightening," he finished awkwardly.

Jennifer looked at Ron with a slight frown but quickly regained her neutral composure as she turned to Kim. "To the business at hand, I'm afraid I can't let you in right now. Betty usually takes responsibility for your visits and while she isn't here I don't have the authority to admit you."

"Oh," said Kim, deflated. "I understand."

"But I heard you're looking for Motor Ed," Jennifer continued. She took out the folders again and offered them to Kim. "I've taken the liberty of compiling what we know about Edward Lipsky and his current known associates."

"How did you..." started Malcolm.

"To be honest, he doesn't exactly qualify as a '_superior_' threat in our records, so we don't have up-to-date data on his hideouts and current whereabouts as we might have for someone like Drakken -- were he at large and not in custody -- but I hope it helps." Jennifer pointed to the top folder of the pile now in Kim's hands. "This one is on Dr. Renton, in case the information proves useful."

"We are very grateful for your help," bowed Yori.

"You're welcome." Jennifer turned to Kim. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" She motioned behind her discretely.

"Uh, sure," shrugged Kim. "Stay here for a second guys."

Kim followed Jennifer beyond the doorway and just a few steps into the hallway beyond. A couple of armed agents watched casually from a couple dozen feet away, clearly as guards for the big door. "I thought I couldn't be in here?" asked Kim quietly.

"This is as far as I can take you right now," said Jennifer. She looked once over Kim's shoulder at the doorway behind her to see if any of the team had followed her. "I don't think I'm revealing any classified secrets to say that Global Justice has long been interested in you. Both as an agent as a force for good out there in the world."

"Dr. Director said as much when we first met," said Kim. "The 'Ron Factor' project made it obvious it was true. She even asked me to join once... but after the, uh, attack last year she rescinded her offer. It's probably all the same now."

"Kim," Jennifer started earnestly. "Normally our SOP would be to let things play out on their own, but since you're _here_, and asking for help, we have to come to an understanding about our relationship."

"Our... relationship?" asked Kim.

"Between GJ and Team Possible."

"I ... don't know how much of a Team Possible there is anymore," said Kim, looking away.

"It seems like it's only gotten larger since I last saw you," said Jennifer plainly. "We skipped past introductions, but it seems like you have two more of your classmates and a ninja in your group now."

"No, I mean -- yes, they're helping out, but this is just... a favor for a friend," said Kim. "Not a Team Possible mission. There can't really be a Team Possible without Wade and..." she trailed off.

"Ron?" asked Jennifer.

"Why does GJ care?" Kim turned to face Jennifer.

"Because if you aren't an agent, or a force for good, then _we_ need to consider the risk/benefit ratio of continuing to help you," said Jennifer, as kindly as she could. "We're not materialistic, but we don't have unlimited resources, and helping you as a favor for everything you've done is fine and good, but there is only so long you can dip into the gratitude pool before it ends up dry."

"I don't expect GJ to help me," Kim said evenly. "You can always turn me away. I don't hold favors over people's head."

"That's not the point, Kim. The point is that you're a natural leader."

"Okay... I guess," shrugged Kim.

"No, there is no question in our minds," Jennifer shook her head tersely. "There are people in the world who inspire others just by existing and who have the strength to rally people to their cause on the merits of their fight alone. You're one of those people." She pointed behind Kim at the doorway. "You say Team Possible is splintered but you walked in here with replacement team of four on what? Accident?"

"They're just friends!" said Kim. "They're trying to help a mutual friend get out of a jam. Why does that have to mean anything?"

"Because it's _you_, Kim, you make it mean something. You can turn a cause in to a crusade if you wanted and yet, over the last six months, I haven't seen a scrap of news about you until that thing in the parking garage last week. What have you been doing?"

Kim frowned. "Recovering."

Jennifer sighed. "I'm sorry about your injury, and I know it's not something you can just bounce back from--"

"That's not it!" snapped Kim. "It's not about the gunshot, and it's not about Wade and Ron going off to god knows where... well, okay, it's a little about that. But it's also _about_ GJ. It's about Dr. Director! It's about YOU."

Jennifer blinked. "Me?"

"What has fighting this war cost you?" Kim asked pointedly. "What has devoting your life to eradicating evil taken from you? When has the risk benefit ratio become equal?"

"Kim... the fight for justice sometimes asks for a few sacrifices," said Jennifer quietly.

"I know," insisted Kim. "I thought I was willing to make that sacrifice, but I wasn't. When Dr. Director rescinded her offer, she didn't just un-invite me into GJ, she told me to leave it all behind. She told me it wasn't something I should be involved in. I didn't want to believe her at the time, I was stronger than that. But... I was wrong."

Kim turned away from Jennifer again. "My friends abandoned me because of this fight. Even you're saying GJ is going to close its doors to me if I don't deliver for them--"

"That's not what I was say--"

"I don't care," Kim interrupted. "You want to boil me down to a number to add to the 'benefit' column and that's not why I did this. I can't do that. I can't tell you whether a person's life is worth the effort it took to save. And I won't classify dangerous people as either 'superior' or 'mundane' to determine whether I'll let them hurt people or not."

Jennifer said nothing for several moments and only watched Kim carefully. "So what are you going to do?" she said after a while. "After you help your friend, what's next?"

"I don't know," Kim said quickly. "I don't like seeing people hurt any more than you. But if I do more ... I have to decide that on my own. And if GJ won't help me, that's fine. I'm already thankful for what you've done." Kim hesitated, then headed back for the door.

Jennifer watched as Kim walked away and through the doorway and out of sight. As the doors started to slide shut behind her Jennifer heard the click of shoes approaching from behind.

"You heard?" asked Jennifer without turning around.

"I hear everything in my building," said Betty Director simply. "She wasn't ready to have that pushed in her face. I told you as such."

Jennifer rolled her eyes and turned to face her employer. "She will sit on her hands forever if we let her."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Betty made a half-smile. "We did nothing to get her involved in Black Shadow or with Motor Ed. She has an independent streak in her and I don't think she liked the idea of us guiding her towards a certain goal."

"Sounds like someone else you know," said Jennifer.

"Who? Richard?" asked Betty with a smile. "The difference with him is that he'll let you think you're guiding him only to find out he's been leading you to where he wants you."

"You seem to have an unnatural admiration for his ability."

"You didn't know him back in his GJ days." Betty's smile turned far more contented. "He was unlike anyone I'd ever worked with."

Jennifer furrowed her brow again. "What Kim said before," she started. "About you telling her to leave, was that true?"

Betty considered the question carefully. "Yes. Don't get me wrong, Jennifer, she could change the world someday in GJ, but she's not ready yet, she needs someone attuned to her needs to protect her. I thought I was dying, I couldn't have her get consumed by the big machine in my absence."

"So you don't actually think what we do comes at too high a cost?" asked Jennifer pointedly.

"Too high? Yeah, it probably does. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth doing."

Jennifer sighed and shook her head. "It'll be hard to talk to Kim now."

"We'll just have Richard continue to keep an eye on her," said Betty, turning on her heel. "I'll let him know about her new problem though."

Jennifer blinked as Betty started to leave. She quickly ran up to follow behind. "New problem? You mean Motor Ed? It was him who told us she was involved with him."

Betty shook her head. "Not Motor Ed. She's got that well under control. I'm talking about Ron."

"What about him?"

"You heard her. She talks like she hasn't welcomed Ron back into Team Possible fully, which means there is a conflict between them. Possibly it has something to do with the ninja, but I doubt it. Kim's jealousy wouldn't pit her against Ron." Betty put her hands in her pockets as she walked. "In any case, Richard should focus on easing the tensions between them. Get them into more of a team again. It should help push her decision in the right direction."

Jennifer thought about that for a minute as they walked. "Given what you just said about Rick, do you think he's really trying to help us with Kim or is he doing something to accomplish his own goals?"

Betty smiled. "You know why CIC Vernon always clashed with Richard back when he was in charge but he never got kicked out or jailed? Richard never did exactly what Vernon wanted, but the effect of his actions was always achieved the same goal."

"It seems like an awfully big risk to trust him, then," said Jennifer.

"He's good for it," smiled Betty.

---------( KP )---------

Yori studied the file in her hand as best she could while she kept an eye on Ron. The group of them had returned to Kim's house after leaving Global Justice to study the information the woman called Jennifer had given them. It was comprehensive to say the least, but little revealed so far had pointed to a possible hideout to invade or a course of action to take. The somewhat smaller file in her hands on the gang member called 'Jig', formerly known as Alice Jansen, was equally sparse in actionable detail and Yori's attention had wandered to the ever-present question in her mind: What was going on between Ron and Kim?

Ron had not wanted to talk about it, and Yori respected that, but there was no way she could breach the topic with Kim without making things awkward... more awkward than they already were. So she watched and read body movements. Ron was clearly trying to connect Kim but she seemed resistant, especially after returning from GJ. She wouldn't even talk to Ron directly anymore. Yori tried to suppress her excitement that Kim was growing more distant, but failed.

She liked Kim, quite a bit really. She was an excellent warrior, she expressed nobility in her actions, and she was a quick thinker in tense situations. Everything about her said she was an excellent ally and someone you could trust to lead you along the path of good. But despite all her accomplishments in her martial abilities, she did not appear to recognize the value of the people around her. She took on all responsibilities herself if possible and spent unjustified amounts of energy trying to protect people who were perfectly capable of protecting themselves.

There were many ways that Kim would rise to become a greater warrior than Ron would never do, and yet, there was a magic in Ron that went beyond the mystical monkey power sleeping within him. He was a dreamer, a wanderer in mind that made him open to ideas and possibilities that could never occur to Kim. She would struggle for the rest of her life towards a vague vision of justice and good that only Ron could imagine clearly. Sure, Ron was silly and driven by random desires now, but he had within him the ability to become a great sage and it was that mind that drew Yori in almost as soon as she met him.

"These people are vagrants, Kim," Zita said closing the file on her lap. She was sitting on the bed beside Yori. "They never settle down or set up homes, they simply don't have places to turn to. The fact that they've all been gathered together in Middleton is the most remarkable thing they have in common."

"Zita's right," nodded Malcolm. "The only ones with any strong ties to Middleton are Motor Ed because of Drakken and Brick Flagg, and we checked out Brick's family already."

"I still can't believe Brick Flagg is running with Motor Ed's crew," Ron said. "It seems high school football doesn't leave much in the career path."

"With Drakken apparently in jail, there probably isn't very much to track down on that front," said Malcolm. "What about family? Motor Ed's file lists Drakken's mom, Angela, as a possible local connection."

"We should check it out," said Zita. "Though, I doubt Motor Ed is hiding out in his Aunt's garage though."

"You can never tell with him," said Ron. "Though he and Drakken teamed up last time we saw Motor Ed, maybe Shego knows something. Do we know where she is, Kim?"

Kim had the file on Cindy Renton on her lap and was only absently listening. As such, she missed the prompting from Ron until the ensuing silence began to feel uncomfortable and she looked up. "Huh?"

"Shego, Kim," said Ron. "Do you know where she is?"

Kim shook her head. "Not really. I have a list of possible places, but they're all over the globe and I'm not sure if she's really at any of them. It could take take us a while to search them."

"Any of them in Middleton?" asked Malcolm.

"No, closest is in Canada."

Malcolm sighed and looked down at the file in his hands again. "Hey, wait a minute. This note on Angela Lipsky includes a last known address but no current whereabouts. Didn't you say you had a run in with her recently?"

Ron looked uncomfortable for a second then nodded. "Yeah, she asked us to help find Drakken when he was captured by Gemini. She sort of vanished after it was all over though. I'm not sure what happened to her."

"Seeing as she's listed as a contact, we might want to investigate it," shrugged Malcolm.

"Maybe we're going about this wrong."

Everyone looked at Kim, who had just closed the folder on her lap. "Motor Ed has a pretty standard routine," she said. "He builds some sort of car or truck or vehicle then he uses it to cause destruction. We know he's building something, probably something closer to the DoomVee since it involves cyber-robotics. What we should really be focusing on is what he's going to use it for."

Zita nodded. "It's not a bad idea," Malcolm also agreed. "But how do we profile a mechanical genius metal-head? His file says his motivations are usually along the lines of looking cool."

"Maybe," said Kim. "But when he teamed up with Drakken, he clearly took on his cousin's motivations. Maybe figuring out what's going to happen next is a matter of figuring out which member of his gang has motivated him into action."

Everyone looked back at their files.

"Well, it's not Axel," said Ron, tossing his folder onto the ground. "They wouldn't have left him behind."

"Probably not Brick either," said Zita, throwing one of her folders into the pile. "It just doesn't fit. I think he was drawn into this by accident."

Yori considered her file then shook her head. "Jig is not a leader and does not have the background to lead the building of the car." Her folder joined the rest.

"That leaves Dorothy and Hog," said Malcolm. "Dorothy is probably not the one. His whole life paints him as rather meek. He's a follower."

"Then Hog," said Zita, holding up the other file in her hand. "He does have a history of being a leader and taking the initiative. The only thing that makes me question him is his obsession with motorcycles. They were clearly building a car in that garage."

"What about motivations?" asked Kim. "What would he be looking to do?"

Zita skimmed through the file again for a minute. "Honestly, the best I can think of is speed. He wiped out a couple months ago because the frame on his bike couldn't handle the vibrations coming from the engine at the speed he was going at. I'd say he's looking to go faster than anything has ever gone before."

"Okay, 'speed' then," said Malcolm. "But what does that give us? He can go fast anywhere."

"Not really," said Kim. "If he's going to go really fast, he needs someplace really flat and really long."

Malcolm got up from the floor and walked over to Kim's computer and began typing. "How long, do you think?" he said.

Kim shrugged. "A couple miles at least," she said. "Something they can take control of easily, so no one gets in the way."

"You'll need more than a couple miles," said Ron. "The fastest race cars can reach over 600 miles per hour. You'll probably need at least a hundred miles of space to get up to top speed then slow down."

Malcolm nodded then typed for several minutes before looking up. "Then they've got to use the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. It's over 150 miles long, completely flat, and public land, so no permits are required to use it." He turned to look at everyone else. "Assuming that speed is their objective, this is the closest place that fits their needs."

"What's the fastest way to get there?" asked Kim.

"Interstate-80 is the primary access," said Malcolm. "From there you can get to the Bonneville speedway, where they'll probably start from."

Kim nodded and considered whether this was the right course of action. They were taking a big risk if Motor Ed wasn't actually trying to make a fast car, but then again if his goal was something else in Middleton, just keeping an eye on the police scanner would tip her off if the trouble was elsewhere. She hated waiting, especially when there were hostages, but there were too many places to check otherwise to find their hideout. This had the best chance of success.

"We'll watch I-80 to see when Motor Ed shows up," said Kim. "We know what their cars look like, so it shouldn't be hard to spot them when they show up. Then we can follow them to the flats and get Felix and his mom back."

"Er, how are we going to get to Utah in time?" asked Ron.

"I have some favors left to call in, I'll get us a ride," said Kim.

"Alright then," said Zita with a sigh. "I guess for now we wait."

---------( KP )---------

Ron hung back as everyone left Kim's house for the night and asked Yori to head back to his place ahead of him. She started to protest but seemed to give up on notion before the words could reach her lips. She silently nodded and turned away.

"So," said Kim, when they were alone.

"So," said Ron. He looked at her intently, trying not to look away and appear insincere. "We should talk."

"Yes," nodded Kim. "I think we should."

The two stared at each other and said nothing for several minutes.

"Do you... have something to tell me?" asked Kim to break the silence.

Ron hesitated. "I wish things had gone differently," he said.

"That's an understatement," Kim said with a small smile. When Ron didn't lighten up as well she straightened her lips. "I do too."

"I couldn't protect you from getting hurt and even ... when I saw you, I didn't know what to do. I had to wait for GJ to help." He shook his head.

"I wish I hadn't gotten hurt, either, but it wasn't your job to protect me."

"It was," asserted Ron. "I'm your boyfriend now, I have to keep you safe."

Kim frowned slightly. She felt like she was talking to a different person all of a sudden. "No, it wasn't. I don't date people based on their ability to take a bullet for me. Ron, you know we get scuffed up all the time on missions. I don't expect you to keep me safe from scratches let alone from getting..." she paused expectantly and shifted her weight slightly. "Getting shot."

Ron bit his lip. The desire to turn his eyes away was burning but he ignored it. "I... I can't see you get hurt like that again."

"Trust me, I don't want to be," said Kim. "But you can't blame yourself, not about this." Kim frowned slightly. "Now, about running halfway across the world without so much as a word to me, that's a different matter."

"You were... sleeping, I couldn't talk to you about it. I did everything I could with the dream."

"Yeah, how did you... no, that can wait," Kim started then stopped herself. "You should have waited for me to wake up, Ron. We could have gone together, as a couple."

"It wasn't about us, Kim," said Ron. "I was the one who couldn't be relied upon, not you. Until I could get stronger, I couldn't put you at risk. I wouldn't."

"Risk?" Kim said, exasperated. "Ron, everything we do is risky! Your ability to do kung fu or not is not the deciding factor!"

"I could have prevented you from getting hurt," insisted Ron.

"You don't know that! And that STILL isn't a good enough reason to run away from me for six months!"

"I wasn't running away!" yelled Ron. "I was trying to protect you!"

"I DON'T WANT YOUR PROTECTION!"

"I'M NOT GOING TO LET MY GIRLFRIEND GO UNPROTECTED!"

"IF THERE IS ANYONE WHO NEEDS PROTECTING IN THIS ROOM IT'S YOU!"

Ron glared at Kim who made a none-too-kind stare back. They both breathed heavily as they gazed at each other, eyes narrow beneath furrowed brows.

Kim looked away first and closed her eyes. "We can't go on like this."

Ron, surprisingly, caught the subtext and simply lowered his head. "I was only trying to help."

"I know," said Kim, still looking away. "I know." She forced herself to look back at him. "But it still hurts."

"I did what was right," Ron said stubbornly. "I didn't know when you were going to recover."

"But you still left me a message telling me not to follow you," said Kim, gaining a bit more conviction in her actions. "You told me to leave you alone, Ron. You may have done what was right for _you_, but you didn't do it for us. You did it... to assuage your guilt."

Ron said nothing.

"We can't go on like this," Kim repeated.

"No, we can't," Ron raised his head again. "So... it's over."

"It's over," nodded Kim, her jaw tight.

Ron opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. He just stared into Kim's eyes, the eyes of the woman he loved but couldn't protect. He felt pains in his chest and his eyes felt like they were watering. With a breath he turned away then, with a single slight hesitation, headed for the door.

"You... you'll still help, right?" Kim suddenly said, causing Ron to freeze. "With Motor Ed?"

Ron couldn't trust that his eyes were dry so he remained facing away from Kim and only slightly turned his head to the side. "Felix is my friend too. So... yeah, of course I'll help." He swallowed hard. "After that..."

"We'll see," Kim finished quietly.

"I'll--" Ron started but felt something caught in his throat. He pushed through it. "I'll always be there if you need me. Anytime."

Neither said anything for a minute. Then Ron continued his way out of the house. Once he was gone Kim let herself feel everything she'd been holding back and collapsed to the floor in tears.

---------( KP )---------

Yori heard the door open and shut from her room on the second floor of the Stoppable house. She knew it was Ron somehow, but was anxious about going to him. He'd stayed behind at Kim's house to talk to her, in all likelihood about their distended separation. There were only two ways that conversation could have ended and Yori held no misconceptions about how close Kim and Ron were.

She wanted to be there for Ron, to congratulate him on fixing the problem in his life that had so clearly plagued him. But it was so much harder to do than to want, and it would mean pushing down her own feelings of rejection to do so, something she wasn't entirely well prepared to do. Long had she gone without feeling emotions like love and jealousy, ever since Masuyo died she believed she wasn't worthy of it. But when she met Ron ... she felt the stirrings in her again that she thought were long dead. She remembered how good they felt and how much she had missed them. She wanted them back in her life again, and she set herself to get them.

But romance is not like combat, and despite her obvious affection for Ron, the boy never really turned her way. And now that they were back in Middleton, it seemed like her chances were getting few and far between. In fact, tonight had probably been her last.

So she was not at all looking forward to talking to Ron as she heard him moving about the downstairs. Seeing her last chance at him evaporate into thin air seemed like taking a sword willingly into her gut. She thought about everything she'd done since they came to Middleton. It was only a handful of days ago, things had moved so quickly since then. Was there something she could have done, someway to have--

The distant sound of Ron falling to the ground broke her thoughts and she quickly jumped to her feet to go to him. She still cared about him, even if her love was unrequited, and his needs still came before her own endless self pity.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Ron in the kitchen, on his knees with one hand on the counter. His face was buried in his extended arm and his body trembled periodically. A glass was on the counter and the refrigerator door was open.

"Ron!" said Yori, in panic, and ran to him. As she reached him and put a hand on his shoulder she noticed it. His face was wet with tears and the shaking was from heavy sobs he was making into his arm. Yori was almost frozen in place. She'd never been called upon to comfort someone in grief like this before, there had always been others more suited--

"Sorry," Ron managed suddenly. He sniffled and began manically wiping his face with his sleeves. "I didn't mean... I'm okay, I'm okay." He began pushing himself to his feet again, still wiping his face.

"Are you... is there anything I can do?" asked Yori quietly.

"No, I'm ..." Ron started then looked away quickly. She could hear him taking several short breathes then swallow. She'd never seen him like this. The chaotic yet strangely fluid nature of Ron personality never seemed to let anything affect him for long. Like a swiftly moving stream, any disturbance was quickly swept along with the flow. And yet, here he suddenly seemed so small, like a puddle that couldn't help be muddied by even the smallest of impurities.

It occurred to Yori that things had not gone well with him and Kim, and that was probably why he was here right now, crying. He was in pain, desperate pain, and yet he was trying to hard to hide it was tearing him up inside. Bottled feelings always burst when it was least helpful, Yori knew that from experience, and only time would make the river of emotion calm again.

Before she knew what she was doing, Yori had stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Ron from behind and slowly rested her head on his shoulder. "It's okay," she whispered. Her simple words were like the opening of a floodgate and Ron began to sob again in her arms.

Yori felt guilty. She had wanted things between Kim and Ron to degrade so she would have more chances with him, but seeing him like this, in so much pain, she realized she was wrong. If there was anything she could have done to keep him from feeling like this she would have done it.

---------( KP )---------

The silence and emptiness of the dreamscape was comforting for Ron who would rather not have had to deal with anyone or anything for the moment. The warmly lit room beneath the main road of the dreamscape was even more comforting as Ron slowly paged through the notes of whoever it was who had once lived in the place with the cages of perpetual dreams.

The pages were old, worn, and strangely, only readable by him, but that didn't help much with the context, which he was struggling to piece together. Whoever the man was -- and Ron quickly figured out it was a man who had once lived here by the way he spoke of other people he'd encountered in the Dreamtime Kingdom -- he'd lived so much of his life in dreams that few of his references were to real world things that Ron could relate to. In fact, most of everything he wrote compared the dreams he'd seen and the worlds he'd visited to things in the Dreamtime Kingdom. Ron wondered if he was ever going to make any progress with these journals without going there.

With a sigh, Ron leaned back in the worn, wooden chair and folded his hands behind his head. It was hard doing this much research. It was more complicated than any amount of schoolwork than he'd ever been assigned and he wasn't even sure that it would help at all. He needed to know more about the dreamscape, and it seemed this man who mapped it would be the best person to learn from. But everything in the room looked so old, it was possible everything there was to learn would no longer be valid.

And there was the issue of time. Master Sensei was in trouble -- in fact, all of Yamanouchi was in trouble. Ron couldn't just waste this much time without any benefit. He owed Master Sensei a lot, this was his opportunity to repay that debt. But it would be useless if the help came too late and Master Sensei was captured, or worse, killed.

It made sense for there to be a dreamwalker on the side of the Shade, it explained why Master Sensei had troubles reaching his meditative state and how the attack was coordinated exactly when Master Sensei was away. Since Ron was the only dreamwalker left who was at Yamanouchi, it also made sense that it would be his job to find them and stop them. But he didn't know how to fight in the Dreamscape or if it was even possible. And he had no idea where to look.

"I wonder if I can dream up some help," Ron wondered aloud. He knew the very basics about constructing dreams. Master Sensei had shown him how but never formally trained him before leaving and Yamanouchi was attacked. In theory, he should be able to create a dream that could help him then enter it. The problem was knowing what to put in the dream to help him. He could draw in the minds of other sleepers who could help him if he knew which ones to draw in or what knowledge they had to supply. But without a complete knowledge of dreamwalking, Ron wasn't sure what training he needed.

Ron stood and paced around the room slowly, looking at the caged dreams. He was still more than a little creeped out about the floating orbs imprisoned. He'd found notes on a couple of them, but most were missing, only leaving entering the dreams as the means of figuring out what they were. That was a risk Ron wasn't comfortable with, but being so close to them, even in cages, made him weary that they might reach out and draw him in at a moments notice. He adjusted his pacing slightly to put a little more distance between him and the cages.

After a half-dozen circles around the room, though, Ron got bored and decided to head back up to the road. When he reached the top of the spiraling staircase, a dozen or two dreams floated down from their languid paths to circle around him. This had become a somewhat regular occurrence for some reason Ron couldn't fathom ever since he visited the room beneath the road. Dreams seemed attracted to him now, and trailed after him expectantly. Ron dove into a few of them to see if there was any reason for it but couldn't discover a commonality. Thus he'd taken to ignoring them for the time being until he figured out why they started swarming.

For lack of a destination, Ron headed down the road in the direction of the Dreamtime Kingdom, the colossally large dream sphere emitting light on what Ron considered the horizon. He wasn't sure the distance to it, but had the feeling that if he wanted it to be short, it would be. He wondered if the kingdom could be seen from the outside if he was close enough. He knew the maps left behind in the room, but was curious how it looked for real.

As he approached the sphere he was impressed with the size of it. The sphere was gigantic in a way the diagram found in the small room could not express. The dream seemed to rise for miles into the sky and all around, exponentially bigger than any of the dreams following him. He wondered what the size actually meant. There didn't have to be any correlation between the size of a sphere and the actual physical space inside as he knew from the dreams he'd already entered. So what did the extra size mean to the Dreamtime Kingdom?

"Impressive, isn't it?"

Ron spun on his foot and backpedaled away from the voice that had come from surprisingly close behind him. After making it several feet away he entered a defensive position and wished he'd had his bo with him to hold at the ready. No sooner did he think that than he found it in his hands. Gripping it tightly he leveled it squarely at the intruder.

Then he blinked. Before him was a tall, thin woman with short, straight black hair that fell around her head like a curtain ending with longer bangs to either side of her pale face, and wearing a black dress covered with diamonds. She looked down at him with an amused smile and piercing eyes of silver.

"Who are you?" asked Ron, regaining his composure. He'd not spent a whole lot of time in the dreamscape between his individual pursuits and his trainings with Master Sensei, but in all that time he'd never encountered anyone he hadn't brought into the dreamscape himself. In fact, the only evidence that others were even able to get here was that small room beneath the road.

The woman brought a slender hand to her chest and touched her collarbone lightly. "My name is... Amanda," she said, continuing to smile. "Amanda Veers."

"How did you get here?" asked Ron, keeping his guard up.

"Much the same way you did," said Amanda. "I stepped outside of my dream."

"You're a dreamwalker?" He narrowed his eyes. Had his adversary just simply walked out of the shadows and confronted him? If so, that would make finding the Shade dreamwalker that much easier. Of course, there was the matter that he had no idea what to do once he found her.

Amanda nodded. "I suppose I am. That's a very poetic way of putting it."

"You've... never heard of a dreamwalker before?" asked Ron.

"Not used in that way," said Amanda. She motioned to the side gracefully. "I'm not really from this area. I came from out there, originally, beyond the dimensional void."

Ron frowned, confused. "You're from another world?" he asked. "Why did you come here? How did you get here?"

"I have a feeling you know _how_ I got here," she raised an eyebrow. "Seeing as you've crossed the void yourself."

"How do you know that?" asked Ron, tightening the grip on his bo.

"You made quite a racket when you returned. I'm not sure there was anyone in the dreamscape who didn't notice. You're lucky some of the other ... things ... that live here didn't decide to intercept you." Amanda shrugged. "I guess they had other things occupying them, but I was curious to see what kind of dream mage was blatantly pulling souls across the void without going through the Dreamtime. So here I am."

"You're investigating... me? A dream mage?" asked Ron.

"That's what we call people like you and me where I come from. Dream magic is fairly rare there, and I guess it's rare here too considering you're the only one I've noticed since arriving." Amanda looked at Ron's weapon. "Are you going to point that me for this entire conversation?"

Ron considered the risk of letting his guard down and decided, at least for the moment, that this woman didn't appear to be a threat and probably wasn't the Shade's dreamwalker. He slowly raised his bo to stand it beside him.

"Thank you," Amanda said with a nod.

"So you just travel between dream worlds for fun or something?" asked Ron.

"Hang on," Amanda held up a hand. "I introduced myself, what about you?"

"Oh," Ron said, shuffling slightly uncomfortably. "Sorry. I'm Ron Stoppable. I'm... kinda new to this dreamwalking... er, dream magic stuff."

"Pleased to meet you Ron," said Amanda. "How new are you? Surely you can't be too much of an amateur to be crossing the void and carrying back souls."

"Er, well, about six months or so?" ventured Ron.

Amanda's eyes widened. "That's incredible!" She looked excited. "I've never heard of someone learning the magics that quickly. You must have had quite the teacher. Were they from your world or did they come from the Dreamtime Kingdom?"

"My master was from my world," said Ron, slowly. "Actually, I've never been to the Dreamtime Kingdom. I only noticed it a couple days ago."

"Never?" asked Amanda, surprised. "Your teacher hasn't taken you to the Dreamtime Kingdom?"

"He's been... occupied," said Ron. "Actually, I'm without a teacher right now. I'm just trying to figure this out on my own."

Amanda nodded slowly. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "Good teachers are hard to find."

"Who taught you, if you don't mind me asking?" asked Ron.

Amanda laughed quietly. "Actually, I'm not all that different than you. I was given magic when I was just a little girl and have been figuring it out ever since. I've had a few teachers since then, but mostly I just learn from experience. A few good books helped too."

"Books? What kind of books?"

"All sorts of kinds," said Amanda. "I've had several instructional ones, written by mediocre mages, as well as a few grimoires from masters. In fact, that's the reason I'm here. I lost a grimoire in the Dreamtime and I think it ended up somewhere in this world."

"A grimoire... that's like a spellbook, right?" asked Ron, digging deep into his brain for words he heard Kim's cousin Larry use before. "Of a powerful wizard?"

"Essentially," said Amanda, shrugging. "It's no different than a tutorial, but since in magic words have power, just reading it can be dangerous. More powerful mages write more powerful spells so the very books they inscribe them in become artifacts."

"Ah... I guess," said Ron. "So, er, is it here in the dreamscape or in the real world?"

"Could be either place," said Amanda. "But I can only search here, in the dreamscape, since it takes more power than I have to bring my body to your world. Maybe..." she trailed off and glanced sideways at Ron. "Maybe you could help me?"

"Me?" asked Ron, surprised. "You want me to look for the grimoire in the real world?"

"Could you?" pleaded Amanda. "In return I could help _you_ out a little bit. I know a lot about dream magic now, I could teach you a few things, maybe give you a tour of the Dreamtime Kingdom if you want."

"Uh, I'd like to learn more," said Ron skeptically. "But I don't know if I should without Sensei's approval... besides, your book could be anywhere on Earth, how am I going to find it?"

"Oh, well, I can help a little with that as well," said Amanda. She waved her hand in a small circle and a book suddenly appeared and dropped into her hands. "This is what it looks like." She held the book out to Ron.

Cautiously, Ron reached out and took the book. It was heavy. The leather binding felt rough on his finger tips as he turned over the cover and looked at the blank pages.

"It's just a mock up," Amanda supplied before Ron could ask. "The real one will have the words and instructions in it."

Ron looked closely at the cover again, as it was the only thing he could use to identify it. The cover was rather bland, old and weathered, with a simple diamond shape embossed in the center with a symbol that looked like two snakes. One was looped like a ring, eating its own tail, and the other was inside the ring, also eating its own tail, but twisted once in the middle like a mobius strip.

"This is a book of dream magic?" asked Ron.

"It's a book of lots of different magics, among them being dream magic," said Amanda. "It's incredibly old, and I'm afraid it has no name, as it has been lost to time."

"Still, it could be anywhere on Earth," Ron repeated.

"Then I can teach you something right away," said Amanda. "There are ways of channeling dream energy into the real world to do some rudimentary magics. Most of them are illusionary but there are some functional spells you could learn too."

"You mean like channeling?" asked Ron.

"Maybe? What does channeling involve?"

"It's when I use the dreamscape to temporarily give me abilities I don't have, like, 'channeling' the skills of someone I know of or met," explained Ron.

"Ah, _imprinting_," nodded Amanda. "Yes, that is a form of dream magic. Good, if you know how to do that then this won't be hard. I can teach you how to channel dream energy to _locate_ objects in the real world. It's limited, and essentially is like momentarily gaining a single, gigantic eye that can look at the whole world at once, but it can help send you on the right direction if you're ever looking for something inanimate."

"Wow, that sounds really handy," said Ron, getting excited. "How does it work?"

"It's just like your channeling," said Amanda. "You want to get into a dream-permeable state while still conscious and--"

Without warning there was a loud crack sound and the dark green-blue abyss around the road rippled with colors from a spot above their heads. The ground shuddered and all of the dreams nearby scattered like startled fish. Ron stumbled to get his footing as he looked around to see what was going on. The sky was shimmering with bright yellows and reds in a ripple that was traveling from the spot above them and extending out into the endless dark abyss around them.

With a siren-like scream, a blaze of blue-white light exploded into existence in the sky and shot across the dreamscape like a comet, gaining speed and brilliance as it traveled. Its tail stretched halfway across the visible sky before it struck an unlucky dream to wander into it's path and, in a magnificent explosion of light, vanished entirely.

The rumbling ceased immediately and Ron straightened himself to regain his composure. He looked over to Amanda and saw her staring at the spot in the sky where the comet had disappeared with a frown on her face.

"What was that?" asked Ron. He followed her gaze and tried to figure out what she was looking at but failed.

Amanda did not respond at first, then she turned to face Ron again and smiled. "I told you that you caused a lot of commotion when you came back from visiting other worlds."

Ron frowned as he tried to parse that sentence. "You mean..."

"That was somebody coming into your world from across the void," she said with a nod. "Although they were not using magic."

Ron shook his head. "I don't understand. You mean someone just went to my world from another world, and they didn't use dream magic to do it?"

"That's right," said Amanda. "Someone just forced their way in using technology. It's messy, but dream mages can't intercept travelers who enter that way, so it's a bit safer from more dangerous inhabitants of the dreamscape."

"What do you mean by, 'more dangerous inhabitants'?" asked Ron.

Amanda smiled. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything. Lets work on the _locate_ dream magic first."

Ron looked suspiciously back at where the comet-like image disappeared. Were people constantly coming in and out of their world without their notice? If not, then the odds were pretty good that whoever it was that just arrived, he or Kim would have to deal with them eventually.

If that's the case, any additional power he could gain would be helpful. "Okay, what do I need to do?" asked Ron.


	8. Episode 3: Forgotten Dreams PART V

----------------

Disney's Kim Possible in

**Apocolocyntosis**

By Adam Leigh

Episode 3:

"Forgotten Dreams"

----------------

PART V

---------( KP )---------

As the dark skies above the horizon started to lighten and drown the dim light from distant stars with the powerful might of the sun, Brick Flagg was bent over the fender of the Roadster working on tightening down the last bolts under the hood and making last minute adjustments. A single overhead lamp shined down in a circle around the Roadster, giving him all the light he needed to use while the rest of Motor Ed's crew and their two captives slept soundlessly around the lair.

Brick had found out from Motor Ed that the hideout they were now using as an interim garage actually belonged to Motor Ed's cousin, Drew, but since he was currently in jail, he figured Drew wouldn't mind them squatting. The location was apparently time shared with someone else, however, and one person of the crew was set to watch out for the other legitimate owner at all times in case they suddenly decided to come back to use the place.

Brick was supposed to be the one watching out for the other owner, but seeing as it was either incredibly late at night or early in the morning depending on your point of view, he felt it was okay to step away for an hour to make sure the Roadster was in proper condition.

He was torn between his loyalties as he worked on the car. Part of him was impressed by the vehicle, and knew that what they were building was something one-of-a-kind, unparalleled in the world of land vehicles. Another part of him, however, knew that the way Motor Ed had gone about building the car was illegal and reckless. Dr. Renton's increasingly urgent advice was going unheeded now and while Brick was no cyber-robotics specialist, he could see how the automated systems wouldn't be able to compensate for the basic stresses the car would ensure at high speeds.

Taking responsibility for things beyond his control had never really been a strong point for Brick. School seemed like a distant thing already, and even on his football team, he only concerned himself with the decisions made after the hike and before the tackle. Everything else was left to Coach Barkin and that's the way he liked it. But out in the real world, after school had ended, Brick found himself in a world where he was being asked to do things, and do them without step by step instruction. He'd never been prepared for that! So he did what he thought he was expected to.

Unfortunately, that put him headlong into the path of Hog and Motor Ed and this mess he was currently in. Clearly just going with the flow and taking whatever was offered to him was the wrong thing to do. He was going to have to make some tough decisions, come hell or high water, whether he wanted to or not. He just needed to figure out what those tough decisions were going to be.

Reluctantly, Brick decided helping Dr. Renton would be one of them. He knew the kidnapping was bad, that was an easy sign, and he really had nothing against Felix, his former classmate at Middleton and didn't see why somebody in a wheelchair had to be treated so roughly. So Brick worked with Dr. Renton to figure out a way to make the engine fail without causing catastrophic failure. Motor Ed was watching the cyber-robotic construction too closely, so it was decided no modifications could be made to the components that created the gravity field or the shield emitters. No, the change had to be in the typical mechanics of the car. If a timing or balance issue occurred before the speeds the cyber-robotics kicked in at, then the car would harmlessly come to a stop without causing a tear in the fabric of the universe.

Closely examining the engine under the hood, Brick got to work. The engine designed by Motor Ed was definitely non-standard, but Brick was able to figure out how it worked earlier in the morning so he knew exactly what to adjust to introduce the flaw that would cause it to seize well under a hundred miles an hour. He slowly twisted the ignition plugs just barely within range and then put a patch cable in the timing wire. The extra length would slow the signal going through the wire and create a small but noticeable timing issue. As the engine picked up speed the timing problem would become more and more noticeable until it caused a cascade failure in the engine and stop it from working.

Pleased with his work, Brick pulled himself back out from under the hood and closed it with a satisfying thud. Then he looked up to see Motor Ed standing beside the car with his arms crossed.

"Woah!" said Brick, surprised. "You scared me."

"Seriously, dude, what are you doing?" asked Motor Ed, looking at Brick with a confused expression. "You're supposed to be watching out for the g-man come to ruin our fun."

"I thought it was late enough that nobody would bother coming," said Brick awkwardly. "Besides, I wanted to check something with the roadster. I thought I saw a problem before and I decided to check it out."

"A problem?" asked Motor Ed. "No way."

"Yah, man," said Brick, nodding. "The... uh, CV joints at the front were made of, like, nylon or something. I had to replace them with steel ones. Swapped with them with the muscle car since it won't need to go as fast." Brick was completely shooting from the hip but knew that the best lies were grounded in reality. He did indeed swap the CV joints between the roadster and the muscle car, but he'd done it earlier in the day. He hoped Motor Ed hadn't noticed.

"Oh, that's seriously a good catch, dude," nodded Motor Ed, walking over to look at the front of the car. "Who did the powertrain assembly?"

"Uh, Axel originally, I think," said Brick. He wasn't actually sure, but figured blaming the captured guy was a good tactic.

"Figures," Motor Ed rolled his eyes. He looked at his watch. "When does your watch shift end?"

"Seven AM," said Brick.

"Knock off now, dude," said Motor Ed. "Get some sleep, I'll cover the rest of your shift."

"Don't you need sleep too?" asked Brick.

"I already slept. I just haven't been able to stay asleep later than like, five o'clock 'cause that's when all those monks got up."

"Ah," nodded Brick. "Well... then, I'll just be going then."

Motor Ed nodded as Brick turned headed out of the garage area. When he was gone, he eyed the Roadster and the muscle car suspiciously.

---------( KP )---------

Felix woke up to find his mother gently shaking him. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up, looking around the hideout suspiciously. "Where is everyone?" he asked, seeing only Dorothy standing around the planning table across the room.

"They've gone out to test the cars," said Dr. Renton. She held out her hands and motioned to the wheelchair beside the bed. Felix moved his legs off the edge of the bed and let his mother help him onto the wheelchair. He ran his hand though his messy hair self-consciously.

"Already?" asked Felix. "Without us?"

"They haven't gone to the racetrack yet, they're just outside doing donuts, I think," said Dr. Renton. "They're planning on heading out in a hour or so."

"So it's done, then," said Felix. He wheeled over towards the kitchen of the lair and his mother walked beside him. They'd been given a fairly large amount of autonomy despite being captives as long as one of the crew was available to be watching them. It was better than nothing, but they both would have preferred being simply let go.

Dr. Renton nodded to Felix's question. Then she bent over to speak into his ear. "Brick said he made the changes last night."

Felix nodded silently. With luck, that meant the car was sufficiently sabotaged that it would never activate the cyber-robotic engine, but any number of other things could happen during the test that could be dangerous and it would be better if they could get far away from the test altogether, which was why Felix had spent the last two days working on a backup plan. One of the other advantages of being given more free reign as to where he and his mother went and did was that they were able to discretely pilfer parts and begin making their own cyber-robotic roadster.

Felix was not anywhere near a mechanical whiz, in fact he saw himself pursuing something more along the lines of business as a career rather than in pure science like his mother, but in the years he'd had his wheelchair he'd picked up a few things about how it worked. That was how he was able to follow the scratching his mother handed him and build a second -- admittedly simpler and smaller -- cyber-robotic device from spare parts.

Dr. Renton pulled out some pieces of bread and jam that was the bulk of the food in the kitchen, along with an unexplainably large amount of hot chocolate, and began making some toast. They had just gotten the jam out when they heard the racket enter the lair.

"Woooowheeee!" called Motor Ed into the sky like a battle cry. "Now that's some sweet sauce." He ran over to the oval-shaped conference table at one end of the large room and stood on it. "We have done some seriously fine work, fellas and I ... congratulate you. " He put a hand to his chest. "Even at sub-supreme speeds, I think it's a work of art." He grinned wildly and balled his hands into fists at his side. "But you know we gotta find out how seriously rocking that metal ride before we can quit, so it's time to take it to the SPEEDWAY!"

The crew cheered at Motor Ed's announcement while Felix and his mother looked on. Brick, in the crowd, seemed somewhat less enthused than the rest. His mild excitement turned to surprise when Motor Ed suddenly pointed his finger at him. "Why the long face, bro?" he asked.

"Huh?" said Brick. "What? Uh, nothing, I'm... just, waiting to be excited when it works, you know."

"Aw, man, you gotta join in the groove or it'll seriously hurt our style," Motor Ed said with a bob of his head.

"I'll do better," said Brick, hoping to sink back into the crowd quickly.

"Well, you're gonna get a seriously full-on rocking view on the experience because I want you to be my co-rider!"

Brick stared back, slack jawed. "Me?"

"Him?" asked Hog, confused.

"Yeah," nodded Ed. "I need someone to watch the cyber-roboic doohickey to make sure it's working right and you know it better than anyone. Well, anyone apart from the scientist chick over there." He pointed off towards Dr. Renton.

"What have I told you about calling me a 'chick'?" said Dr. Renton, her arms folded.

"I can't work the cyber-roboic parts!" protested Brick. "I just learned about this stuff this week. I'm no good at it."

"You are better than you think you are," said Hog, reluctantly. "I've seen how quickly you've been soaking up information. And it's not like any of us really know it any better." Hog nodded and looked to Motor Ed. "It's not a bad idea."

"Seriously," said Motor Ed.

"No... really, I don't think I'm the right guy--"

"You deserve it, dude," said Ed. "After spending all that extra time making sure everything worked in the middle of the night, you should be there to see it happen." He stared unwaveringly at Brick. The younger man wilted slightly under the gaze. "You just need to make sure any flashing red lights are noticed, okay?"

Brick looked down slightly. "Okay," he said with a sigh.

---------( KP )---------

As the crew put together their equipment and began loading up to the roadster and the muscle car, Jig casually sauntered up to Motor Ed as the latter was tuning up the muscle car. Her desperate attempts to appear 'casual' were horribly misjudged and her sauntering looked like swaggering.

"Are you sick?" asked Ed when he saw her approach.

"No," Jig said sharply, then flushed slightly. "I... uh, I just wanted to tell you that I don't think you should trust Brick."

"Flagg?" asked Ed. "Why? What do you got against him?"

"He's... been too cozy with the Doctor and her kid," said Jig.

"They just went to school together," Ed dismissed and went back to looking under the hood of the muscle car. He pulled on the distributor cap and checked the spark plugs with a displeased grunt. "Oh, man, these things are soaked." He looked over his shoulder. "DOROTHY!"

Jig moved to the other side of the car and tried to get in Ed's field of view again. "He's been plotting something with them. I think he's going to help them escape."

"That's fine, the car is done," said Ed. He reached under the car and pulled up an empty oil pan and began tossing the spark plugs into it. Dorothy came over and Ed handed the pan to him.

"What's wrong?" asked Dorothy. He looked at the plugs and made a pained face. "Oh."

"Clean those off," said Motor Ed. "And, seriously, why did you use mechanical contact breakers in here?"

"This is a rebuilt '71 'Cuda, they didn't have Hall effect contact breakers back then," explained Dorothy. "It's more era appropriate."

"Dude, this isn't a model show, we need power and performance in case we run into trouble," Motor Ed shook his head. He ducked out from under the hood again and pointed back. "Just get it back up to top again before we leave."

Dorothy nodded and turned away with the pan of spark plugs.

"Motor Ed," said Jig again.

"Listen, gal," said Ed finally looking at Jig again. "Flagg knows this stuff and even if, for instance, I knew already that he was planning something bogus, putting him in the front seat of the car is the best way to keep an eye on him."

Jig looked surprised and stood silent for a few seconds.

Motor Ed took the opportunity to continue. "What I need you to do, though, is work with Dorothy and keep an eye on the doctor chick and her boy to make sure they don't do anything except escape."

"Escape?" asked Jig. "You want them to escape?"

"I want them not to bother me while I break the land speed record in our roadster," said Ed. "And if it works, we don't need them anymore, so it's better they go occupy Kim Possible than slow us down."

Jig blinked but then slowly nodded. "Oookay. But what about the cops afterwards? They'll ID us."

"If Red tracked us to my garage, then she totally knows who we are," said Ed. "I don't care about going to jail, I care about breaking the record."

"But... the rest--"

"I'll take care of it, babe," said Motor Ed with a grin.

Jig shook her head. "I don't understand."

"It's not rocket science," said Ed with a shrug. They walked over to the roadster to admire it. Hog was currently polishing it to a shine so they stood a few steps back to keep out of his way. "I'm the best automotive engineer in the world, hands down. Nobody comes close."

Jig shrugged. "Okay."

"But those egg-heads back at the labs said that 'scientists need to act a certain way to be taken seriously," Ed quoted. "As if a lame haircut and nerd clothing have anything to do with building awesome cars."

"So... you're trying to show the world you're smart?" asked Jig, testing the waters to see if she was on the right track.

"Not smart, the _best_," corrected Ed. "If we break the land speed record with a car, then they'll have to stop calling me Red's villain and finally see my seriously superior genius."

Jig nodded, feeling she understood what was going on now. She frowned anyway. "Be careful about Brick, then," she said. "He's not on board with your goal."

"I can handle him," Ed smiled. "I already fixed all the things he tried to break in the roadster." He winked at her.

Jig flushed with awe. Despite his appearance, Ed really was one step ahead of all of them.

---------( KP )---------

"We have a problem," said Brick the first moment he could get Dr. Renton alone.

"I saw," said Dr. Renton, nodding.

"No, not just that. There's something else. The car, it's been fixed already."

"Fixed?" Dr. Renton looked confused. "Fixed what?"

"The imperfections I put it in it last night," said Brick. "Motor Ed caught me while I was finishing up but I thought I made a good enough lie to fool him. He must have figured it out though."

Dr. Renton bit her lip as she thought. This was not good. No only was the engine probably going to activate now, but there was no time to sneak in another sabotage short of simply blowing up the car and sending everyone back to start again. She eyed the roadster from across the room and wondered how plausible it was.

"They're guarding it too well," said Brick, almost reading her mind. "And I doubt he's going to let me get near it until we're out on the speedway."

"You'll have to do it from the inside then," said Dr. Renton.

"Do... what?" Brick said, looking slightly terrified.

"Keep the cyber-robotics from activating the pulse emitters and causing the gravity fold to crush the car and anything else in proximity," said Dr. Renton as if that was the easiest thing in the world to do.

"Buh," replied Brick, trying to keep his mind from shutting down.

"It won't be hard," offered Dr. Renton.

"I can't even repeat what you just said!"

"You don't have to," she shook her head. "I'll tell you what to look for, and what adjustments to make. You don't have to understand what its doing, just watch for the signs and do what I say."

"I'm pretty good at doing what other people say," said Brick, slowly.

"Good, then there's a chance we'll get through this without dooming the world or the state of Utah."

"Okay, now I'm starting to panic again," warned Brick.

"Sorry."

---------( KP )---------

Hog quietly looked over the last of Dorothy's work on the muscle car after he finished polishing the roadster to a perfect shine. They hadn't had time to do any detailing work on their masterpiece, so a simple coat of black was applied and finished. He was fairly satisfied with the look himself, and was excited to see the stark contrast of the black car against the near-white colored salt flats.

Returning his attention to the car at hand, he was satisfied with the quick tune up on the muscle car, and satisfactorily closed the hood and dusted his hands up. He was rubbing out a small blemish on the fender when Motor Ed walked up, the great master, and Hog respectfully nodded to him. "We're all set to go when you are, Master," said Hog.

"How many times--" started Ed.

"Sorry. I mean: Motor Ed," corrected Hog.

"Maybe when there's something to show for our efforts, you can call me that, but not now, dude," said Ed, looking off the side in a distant expression.

"Something wrong?" asked Hog.

"You'll..." Ed trailed off then slowly turned his head to face Hog. "You'll take care of everyone when this is all done, right?"

Hog frowned. "What do you mean, 'take care of?' Is something going to happen to you?"

"Probably Red," said Ed. "Only so many times you can run from her before she nabs ya. Just ask my cousin Drew about that."

"Ah, yes, I've read about Drakken," said Hog. "He still manages to make a recovery... almost weekly."

"He's out for domination, a noble goal, but I'm just looking to make a statement," said Ed. He walked over to the roadster and ran his hand along its smooth lines. "Anyway, I'm not unfamiliar with the cage, I'll be fine and out in no time, but I don't think... you know, Dorothy in particular would handle it well."

"You want me to keep him out of harms way?" asked Hog.

"All of them if you can," said Ed. "This was my thing, not theirs. Tell the cops you were all forced to help me. It won't seem too odd to them."

Hog nodded slowly. "That's why you don't want me in the car, isn't it? So I have time to get everyone out while Kim Possible is busy with you."

"One of the reasons," said Ed. "Flagg really does have the best understanding of that cyber-robotic stuff. Short of the doctor and I don't want her in there in case it explodes."

"Explodes?" asked Hog, surprised by the sudden concern. "Why would it explode?"

"'Case what she's saying is right. It's possible we can't keep the field emitters calibrated, and it's better if she's not too close when things go south. Besides, she already understands the designs, if I fail, she'll keep going and continue my work."

"Dr. Renton is going to continue what you started?" asked Hog.

"Yeah, course she is. She thinks it can be done, she just doesn't trust that I can do it." Ed grinned. "Them broads never trust me."

Hog made a small smile. "It's been an honor to work with you, Ed," he said. "Your dedication... your spirit, it's worth following."

"Then get back on your bike and ride again," said Ed. "Don't let a little wipe-out ruin the awesome taste of freedom and a half-ton of muscle beneath your legs."

Hog smiled for real this time. "I will."

---------( KP )---------

In series, the muscle car, the roadster, and the pickup truck cruised down the highway heading out of the greater Middleton area and onto I-80 towards Utah. Dorothy and Jig were in the pickup truck in the rear, watching the whole caravan, while Motor Ed and Hog were in the Roadster, maintaining only a slightly excessive speed so far, behind the lead and the most watched vehicle in the group: the muscle car.

Brick drove quietly down the largely deserted highways across the Midwest, breaking his personal silence only to ask about breaks and stops for food, drink, bathroom, and gas, to which Felix and his mother Dr. Cindy Renton agreed to every time. They all had too much on their minds to worry about the barest mechanics of the trip since they were all focused on the upcoming speed test of the roadster.

Dr. Renton was starting to worry about what collateral damage would occur from the cascade failure of a gravity fold. Thankfully the salt flats in Utah were fairly unpopulated and the speedway itself was so large it was hard for anyone to be nearby. Unfortunately there was no way to calculate the magnitude of the failure as it had never been something she'd read of being tested, only simulated. And the slipshod simulations she was doing in her head made her wish they were testing a rocket and not a car. At least then the vehicle might have made it into space before going nova.

"How much further is it?" asked Felix after the hours of silence since the last stop.

"A hour or two," said Brick. "Not too far."

"Do we have a plan yet?" Felix addressed his question to both the other passengers in the car.

"Brick will try to keep the field from forming using the instructions I gave him," said Dr. Renton. "But I'm sure even Motor Ed will eventually catch on. What about Kim?"

"I tossed out the cyber-robotic satellite spike as soon as we left the garage," said Felix. "Once it reached a high enough location it started broadcasting to the local receivers. Though..." he shrugged. "Without Wade's help, I don't know if Kim will even get the message."

"Then we should assume we're on our own, then," said Dr. Renton.

"That doesn't leave us many options," said Felix.

"Not many that don't rely on skills I don't have," grumbled Brick.

"What do you mean?" asked Dr. Renton.

"Nothing." Brick tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "I'll figure something out."

Felix glanced at Brick long enough to see his determined gaze at the road then looked back towards his mother. Another hour of silence ensued.

---------( KP )---------

Ulrich Cotton studied at the University of Michigan for four years in mathematics and engineering, achieving a final GPA in the high 3's, leading to his admission into graduate school where he received a masters in the field of mathematics focusing on geometric conversions in both Euclidean and non-Euclidean space. After that, he spend eighteen years in a think tank for the Chrysler Motor Corporation doing calculations on both car aerodynamics and jet engine designs.

It was not the most exciting career, but it was a stable one. Until one day they invented a computer program that could do all of the geometric calculations he could do and a whole lot more and his job suddenly became a lot less cost effective and he was removed in what was charitably known as 'cost streamlining.' His employers thought it was amusing that his job, which was ostensibly to ensure body designs were streamlined, was itself streamlined out of the industry. He didn't see the humor.

Nor did he find any humor in the fact that he was now using his advanced and highly expensive education in mathematics and engineering to ensure that the single, bold, black line that ran down the middle of the Bonneville Speedway was as perfectly straight, exactly 10 miles long, and on as even, level ground as possible. He wasn't paid nearly as much as he was used to, but that was okay seeing as living in the middle of nowhere, Utah was notably cheaper than Detroit. However, his working conditions had gotten somewhat less favorable than they had once been. His morning routine of driving down the 10 mile stretch looking for any problems or changes in the terrain, was about as mundane as one could imagine spending over an hour going back and forth over one of the largest, flattest expanses in North America with nothing but a solid black line to use as reference.

So it was with a bit of mirth that he returned back to the main complex at the entrance to the speedway to find that it had been overrun by a group of burly bikers and they were demanding usage of the IEEE branded speed measuring equipment at the facility.

It wasn't Speed Week, which was in August, not February, meaning nobody else was really going to be around for another few months, so Ulrich shrugged and offered to help. He wasn't sure if complying with criminals was against his employment contract but he figured, what the hell! Anything was better than staring at that big black line all day.

---------( KP )---------

Jig and Dorothy were checking the air pressure in the tires and any remaining tightening of screws and bolts as the car sat at the start of the straight-long speedway. As they diligently checked everything they possibly could, Motor Ed, Hog, Brick, the Rentons, and Ulrich Cotton were in the monitoring room at the small complex and stadium beside the speedway.

Looking around, Motor Ed thought it was reminiscent of the Houston control center that he'd seen in several movies. It had a large work area with several computer consoles and cabinets all facing giant two story tall windows looking out over the speedway. A series of LCD panels had been affixed above the windows in a more recent upgrade apparently which were flicking between views from the three or four dozen cameras installed all across the Salt Flats.

A series of pictures along the back wall that did not have windows showed the vehicles that had held the top ten positions in the land speed record. The most recent record, held by what apparently was a jet without wings, was just over the speed of sound or 'MACH 1' by aeronautical standards. Ed restrained himself from turning his nose up at the vehicle, as it barely looked like a car at all and, in his opinion, didn't deserve to be called a land based vehicle. His roadster, which didn't differ in many ways at all from a normal car (apart from the bulging hood and the series of specially designed spoilers across the vehicles) would show up all these vehicles when it's picture went up. Proving you didn't need to sacrifice style for speed.

"Okay, it's all set up," Ulrich said, turning in his chair from the console. He pushed his glasses up onto his nose and motioned to the screens above the windows. "The actual speed measuring period is marked around mile 7 and goes for 1.25 miles. That's the location where your maintained speed will be recorded and averaged across your two trials."

"Two trials?" asked Brick.

Ulrich nodded and folded his arms. "Typical speed tests for records are recorded going in both directions across the flats and then averaged. It compensates for possible influences due to wind speed." He punched a button on his console and one the screens changed. "There's a loop at the end of the track you can follow to get turned around for the return trip."

Motor Ed walked back to the group while nodding. "Excellent! Alright, Brick, it's time to take this show on the road."

"Ow, that was awful," Felix shook his head.

Brick smiled to Felix and Dr. Renton briefly, then turned to follow Motor Ed out of the control area. Hot watched them go then looked to the two captives. "It's probably time you let me know what's going on," he said.

Felix blinked. "What?"

"Whatever it is you two have got planned," said Hog. "It's better you tell me now rather than later. You know, after all, the speeds those two are going to be going at. If something blows up unexpectedly they could very well die. Come clean now and you'll keep from having their deaths on your hands."

Dr. Renton's jaw hung low at the audacity. "Are you joking?" she said loudly. "That setup has not been calibrated to any degree of accuracy _at all_. When that thing attempts to reduce its mass through the gravity fold it will, for lack of a better term, blow up in their faces. I would be very surprised if it didn't. So, if you want ever SEE those two again, I'd suggest you stop them now."

"You've already stated you concerns, Dr. Renton," said Hog. "I'm asking if you did anything beyond the schematics that they should adjust for."

"It's not a concern," stressed Dr. Renton. "It's a near fact. There is nothing they can do to attenuate the field consistently over the time of the trial. Cyber-robotics can't do it, and they can't do it manually. The only chance is to hit on the sweet-spot sustaining field frequency and there is a one a billion chance they'll find it on the first try."

"Listen, Dr. Renton," Hog said softly and sympathetically. "I know you're worried about it, but it's going to work out."

"Wishful thinking is not going to change the laws of physics," Dr. Renton said plainly.

"I know it won't, but there is a chance -- a one in a billion chance as you said -- but there is a chance they could get it right. And that's the chance the Master wants to take."

"What about Brick, then?" asked Felix. "He's not choosing to take that chance. Why doesn't he get a say?"

Hog nodded knowingly and then walked over to pat Felix on the shoulder. He smiled warmly. "He's going to be okay." With another reassuring pat on the shoulder, he turned and headed for the door.

Felix watched him leave with a blank expression on his face, while his mother balled her fists in rage.

"I can't stand people like that!" Dr. Renton scowled. "Warm and fuzzy feelings do not make impossible things work!"

"He's so odd," said Felix in a not entirely unrelated sentiment.

"What's going on?" asked Ulrich. "Aren't you two with that guy?"

"No, we're captives, like you," said Felix.

"Oh," said Ulrich. "I'm assuming you're talking about his car exploding during the test."

"Yeah," said Felix. "It's probably not built right and will fireball out, except in probably a much more dramatic way. Also, we're not sure we're far enough away from the blast radius to escape unharmed."

"Huh," mused Ulrich. He thought about that for a minute. "Well, still, anything is preferable to my mind numbing regular job."

Now Felix looked at Ulrich like he was crazy.

---------( KP )---------

Hog waved for Dorothy and Jig to head into the control area and watch over the Rentons as he headed out of the building and towards the roadster. Motor Ed and Brick were over there now discussing something over the hood of the vehicle. Hog figured he would help them get strapped in and ready to go then head back into the control area and formally let the Rentons go. He decided he'd let them out of the speedway leaving the larger pickup truck for Dorothy, Jig, and himself.

Just as he left the shadow of the control area heading for the car the sun compounded with the bright white flats blinded him for a second and he rubbed his eyes to help them adjust. When they finally did focus back again on the world he noticed he wasn't alone anymore.

"Hi there," said Ron Stoppable with a grin standing close to Hog and trying to appear intimidating. "Care to do this the easy way?"

Hog looked at him in surprise for a second then resigned himself to the inevitable result of this confrontation by sucker punching Ron in the gut, causing him to collapse to the ground in gasps.

"POSSIBLE'S HERE!" Hog yelled out as loud as he could just before a slight of a girl in dark clothes came out of nowhere and kicked him in the jaw. Stumbling slightly to the side he regained his balance just in time to dodge a follow up punch to his face from the woman in black and quickly moved back and forth on the balls of his feet. With a quick feint he took a swing at the woman's chest but she slipped away like water, and he only caught the barest slip of fabric. She spun away then adopted a posture with a lower center of gravity.

With a flick of her wrist she was holding two fans and holding one in front of her and the other behind her and in the air. She looked over the folds of the front fan at Hog. "You are fast for your size," she said simply.

Hog smiled. "I get around."

The woman nodded then sped forward to close the gap between them in a flash.

---------( KP )---------

"POSSIBLE'S HERE!"

Motor Ed looked up immediately and turned to see Hog facing off with that Stoppable kid and what looked like the ninja from the earlier garage raid. He looked to be holding his own in the fight but a quick scan showed Kim Possible running towards him and Brick at tremendous speed.

"Woah! It's Red," said Ed with surprise. He quickly jumped into the car and started it. "Come on, Flagg!"

Brick bit his lip with a frown, conflicted for a microsecond whether he should be stopping Ed or getting in with him and decided that if he was with Ed or abandoned him, he would still try to use the engine. Brick jumped into the car and quickly and closed the door. With a roar, the engine spun the wheels in a blur, skidding on the surface for a fraction of a second before catching and taking off down the speedway.

Brick held on tightly to his chair as they took off then scrambled to pull his harness across his chest to latch in the center. He looked out the side view mirrors to see Kim's run slow to stop behind them and look annoyed. So much for Kim Possible's rescue, Brick realized. It was up to him now.

He took a deep breath and looked at the large display that controlled the cyber-robotic equipment and high mass pulse emitters. It had just under fifty touch screen buttons on it and looked like a circuit diagram with dozens of feeds and lines going every which way and that. The complexity was staggering and in that moment Brick felt his mind go blank. He could barely remember his own name let alone the instructions that Dr. Renton gave him. He whimpered quietly.

"Not used to a take off like that, huh?" asked Ed with a wild grin. His foot was to the floor as they sped down the slat flats. They were already past seventy miles per hour and gaining fast. Brick barely remembered that the cyber-robotics would automatically initiate the field emitters a little ways past a hundred miles per hour. That gave him... less than a minute.

"Ed!" yelled Brick over the roar of the engine.

"What is it, dude?" said Ed, keeping his eyes on the road and his hands steady. "We're kinda in the middle of something."

"Y-y-you've got to stop this!" Brick said. "It's not going to work and we're going to die! Dr. Renton is a expert, she knows what she's talking about."

"It's possible," Motor Ed said smoothly.

"It's definite!" insisted Brick. The car was racing along faster than Brick had ever driven before in his own car, even in stupid races along the highway. The salt flats had smoothed in the speed to be a solid flowing white as if they were driving on paved clouds.

"You know what else is definite?" asked Ed. "You'll never reach your goals if you stop trying because someone says it's risky."

"This is a little more than risky!" yelled Brick. "We're going to die! Don't you care?"

"Of course I care, that would be totally bogus," said Ed.

"Then stop! Stop this insanity! Why would you do this? I thought you were a respected engineer? The best in your field! Didn't you decide to do this to prove that you could be a successful scientist even without the glasses, pocket protector and little bow tie above your labcoat?" Brick was jabbering now as he felt their acceleration taper off dramatically as they started to reach the limits of the normal engine. They had to be past a hundred now, he was sure. Any moment now the emitters with warm up, he had to get Ed to stop before then.

"I AM a successful scientist," said Ed. "Everything I've built has worked."

"Yeah, except this won't Ed!" Brick motioned to the car around them. "It will blow up in a explosion that will take most of the state with it! That's not successful, and that won't prove anything except that you were just as crazy as they all thought!"

Ed frowned and looked Brick with a concerned expression. "Dr. Renton will prove I was right," he said.

"But she'll get the credit, not you," said Brick. "Nobody will remember your contribution. Nobody will remember you except as the crazy guy who blew himself and a bunch of hostages up. What's the point of all this if you don't get the credit?"

Ed grimaced and looked back towards the road, saying nothing.

"Ed!" yelled Brick. "We don't really have time to ponder this!"

Ed made a small smile. "You know what the secret to enlightenment is?" he asked.

Brick stared but said nothing.

"Realizing that everything is connected such that the individual is both insignificant in the grand scheme of things and, equally, the most important part," Ed said, nodding.

"I don't understand," said Brick.

"I never achieved enlightenment while I was with the monks."

"Ed..." warned Brick.

"Maybe I'm due for it now." Ed pushed harder on the pedal and the car sped up a little faster. A second later the panel in front of Brick lit up as the cyber-robotics kicked in and began charging the emitters for activation. Brick stared at the screen and began pressing buttons, trying desperately to remember what it was he was supposed to do to try and keep it from blowing up. His mind reeled in a mixture of terror, anger at Ed, and regret for not writing down what he was supposed to do.

A gauge at the bottom of the display lit up saying that he emitters had been activated and were not attempting to create the high mass shields that would envelop the car in the gravity fold to lighten its mass. Brick paled as he saw the light and began praying in his mind for some divine intervention to save them.

Then the car suddenly shook and Ed gripped the wheel until his knuckles turned white trying to keep it straight. The car drifted slightly then got traction again as they drive. Brick looked out the window and saw the muscle car riding alongside them, less than an inch away from its fender. He boggled as to what it was doing there when suddenly there was another, lighter thump, and the car swerved slightly again just before the screen on the dashboard changed to show a model of the car as the field emitters formed the two shields around them and a huge red exclamation point beside a message saying that the car's mass did not conform to expected tolerances but that the cyber-robotics were attempting to compensate.

Immediately their speed rocketed forward as the landscape began to blur, but Brick didn't feel like they had gotten faster at all. He felt no additional pressure and, in fact it barely felt like they were moving at all anymore. He looked over at Ed who was staring at the speedometer. The needle had been pinned at the max speed even as they continued to go faster. The screen showed a small meter at the bottom right that provided an estimated speed based on percentage of mass reduction and forward momentum provided by the normal engine. It was reading well over 200 miles per hour.

Ed looked at the screen and the blur of the flats beneath them through the windshield. "Did it work?" he asked in surprise.

Then an alarm sounded and the screen suddenly turned red as it showed the interior shields starting to fail almost before the exterior ones could be replaced. The cyber-robotics were unable to maintain calibration of the emitters, it displayed.

Brick shook his head then buried in his hands. This was it, exactly what Dr. Renton said would happen. They were going to blow up and die and who knew how many others would get hurt.

"Hang on!" yelled Ed as he slammed on the brakes trying to slow the car down. The readout on the screen showing the estimated speed dropped dramatically, faster than Brick thought was possible based on how little pressure he was feeling. If they could get themselves below the activation speed before the shields failed then they would deactivate, hopefully stopping the failure.

"What's the speed say!" Ed said as she put all his force onto the break petal.

"211!" called Brick. "189!"

"Come on," said Ed through gritted teeth.

"175!" Brick continued calling out the display. "160! Just a little slower and the cyber-robotics should--"

Then both shields failed and everything went white.

---------( KP )---------

With Dorothy and Jig tied up in the corner, Ron, Yori, Zita, Malcolm, Felix, Dr. Renton, and Ulrich stared at the cameras showing the speedway. After the roadster took off before Kim could get to them, she jumped into the muscle car that was also on the flats intending on catching up to them before the faulty-cyber-robotics activated. Unfortunately, Hog got away from Yori and was close on Kim's tails when she jumped into the muscle car and leapt onto the vehicle as she drove it off.

Surprisingly, Hog held on while Kim drove the muscle car to speeds matching the roadster. And even when Kim collided with the roadster to get it to slow down, Hog managed not to fall off.

Then, suddenly both the roadster and the muscle rocketed forward at incredibly increasing speeds. Ulrich had to switch cameras several times to catch them on a wide enough angle so they could see for more than a few seconds. The cars were little more than blurs as they traveled, partly due to their great speed but also because a luminescent shimmering silvery light had encased them.

Finally, after they had traveled almost halfway down the speedway there was an explosion of a bright, white light and then both cars were gone. Everyone stared in shock as Ulrich checked all the remaining cameras to see if he could find the remains of either car anywhere on the speedway but was unsuccessful. Nothing was left.

"Was that supposed to happen?" asked Ron to Dr. Renton.

---------( KP )---------

Kim had a splitting headache, like someone had put a marching band inside her skull and told it to play the complete collection of J. P. Sousa on repeat. Forcing her eyes open she found herself staring at the dashboard of an old car and realized that her head was resting on the steering wheel of said car. Things were a little blurry to her, but the speedometer on the car was pointing at zero, meaning somehow she'd stopped and not ended up dead.

Picking her head up and leaning back in her chair Kim looked out the windshield. Then she blinked, rubbed her eyes, and looked again. "What on Earth...?" she asked aloud and checked the other windows out of the car. Most had been shattered by some force but nonetheless showed the same scene as she saw out the windshield.

She was apparently parked in some forest, crashed into the roadster which itself was crashed into a tree. Kim tried to remember how on they got there, but only could recall as far as they were racing down the speedway and the bright white light enveloped them.

With the sound of twisting metal, Kim pushed her door open and climbed out of the car onto the soft forest ground. She looked up at the roof of her car to see the larger, leather-clad form of Hog on top, stirring. Apparently he survived as well, despite being on top of the muscle car during whatever accident had just occurred. Kim decided she would ponder the physics of that on another day.

Pushing herself to her feet, she staggered over to the roadster and began pulling on the driver-side door. It took several tries but it eventually came lose, broke off its hinges, and fell to the ground. It was followed, moments later, by Motor Ed, falling out of his chair in the roadster and onto the door. Kim knelt beside him and checked his pulse and breathing. He was still alive, for now anyway. She looked into the car and saw Brick, buckled over a darkened monitor, still tied in his harness but otherwise looking okay, No blood or guts anywhere, and the slow but regular movement of chest let her to believe he was breathing. Kim reached over and unlatched the seatbelt.

"Nnggg," moaned Brick as he stirred. Kim moved around to the other side of the car and pulled open the passenger side door. She pulled him out of the car and laid him on the ground beside it as he slowly began moving his arms around.

"Hey, Brick," said Kim while kneeling beside him. "You okay?"

"Not... really," he managed. He but his hands to his face and rubbed it several times before slowly opening his eyes and looking back. "Kim?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kim nodded. She looked around.

"What happened?" said Brick.

"I'm not really sure." She stood and looked into the trees all around them. They were virtually surrounded, apart from a trail of bent or damaged trees leading back in the opposite direction the cars were facing. "I guess we came from there, although I don't really remember."

Brick sat up and immediately felt the blood rush and decided to lay back down again until the flush left his cheeks. He stared at the sky which was cloudy but bright, possibly midday. "How long have we been out?"

Kim checked her watch. "My watch says it's just after four, so not very long."

Brick frowned. "Four?" he asked. "It's mid-day, it can't be four."

Kim looked up at the sky. It was hard to see the sun but it was definitely brighter than it should have been for late afternoon in February. "Maybe we've been out for a day and my watch stopped from the impact."

Brick shook his head and tried to get up again. This time he was more successful. In a labored fashion he walked over to Motor Ed and tried to wake him while Kim pulled Hog down from the top of the muscle car. Hog landed in a thump and began coughing loudly as he stirred. Kim waited for him to go through the same motions she and Brick went through which ended with the inevitable...

"What happened?"

"Yeah, we don't know," supplied Kim. She looked over to see Motor Ed rubbing his head and sitting up so she turned to address everyone at once. "Does anyone remember anything about how we got in the middle of a forest?"

Hog shook his head as did Motor Ed.

"Great," sighed Kim. She turned and started walking down the path away from the cars, hoping it would take her somewhere.

---------( KP )---------

"Alright, on three," said Motor Ed. "One, two... THREE!"

With a heave, Ed, Brick, and Hog pushed the roadster away from the tree it was partially wrapped around and rolled it back to sit next to the muscle car. With a pleasant sigh, Motor Ed nodded at their handiwork and then lifted the hood of the roadster.

"Oh," said Ed.

"Man," Brick winced.

"Looks like we'll have to use the muscle car's engine to get around," said Hog.

The inside of the roadster's engine compartment looked like it'd been thrown into a blender then strewn about for good measure. The impact with the tree obviously had outright crushed a few parts and jumbled around the rest. They would only get one working car out of the two remaining vehicles if they were lucky.

"Let's see what we can piece together," said Hog, beginning to dig around in the engine compartment to find undamaged parts. Motor Ed did the same while Brick detached and lifted the battery out and lugged it over to the cab. Pulling out a few wires from behind the cyber-robotic panel he tied them to the leads on the battery and flipped display on. With a sickly sounding whirr the panel came to life and, after doing a largely useless diagnostic, displayed the current status of the equipment.

Apart from all the leads to the car engine and electronics coming up dead, the cyber-robotic components were all fairly intact. Brick searched through the menu system slowly until he found an event log for the test ride. He slowly began paging through the file trying to figure out from what he knew what had happened.

"Hey!" Kim's voice called out. She was running back down the path and over to the cars. After a second to catch her breath she looked at the three men. "I think I have an idea of where we are, but I don't imagine you'll believe it unless you see it."

"What is it?" asked Hog. "Did we end up in outer Mongolia or something?"

"Probably further," said Kim. "Depending on how you look at it."

Ed dropped what he was doing and headed for the path. "Lets take a look, Red," he said waving them on. Hog followed in suit but Brick waved them off.

"I'll stay behind and watch the cars," he said, looking up once from the screen he was reading intently. Kim, Ed, and Hog vanished down the path as Brick turned several virtual pages to skip to the end of the event log. He was more curious about what happened after the bright white light than before anyway.

The logs registered several errors after the shields failed, including a sudden spike in mass followed by what it reported as an 'isometric gravity event' but what appeared to be like a black hole. The best that Brick could make out of what he was reading, is that when the shields went down it created a black or something which they were sucked in and then flung out of. Like a tunnel, almost, but with a unknown exit. Brick figured they could be anywhere after going through something like that and Hog's outer Mongolia riff was entirely possible.

He was infinitely curious at what Kim found that she wanted them to see, but resisted the urge to run after them. If they were going to get home, he figured they'd probably have to do it the same way they came, which meant understanding the event log in order to recreate it.

---------( KP )---------

Eventually the path of broken trees and periodic tire treads in the soft dirt led to the side of an interstate. It was divided with two lanes in either direction and was fairly busy by the number of cars passing them every minute. Kim motioned to the road and Hog and Ed looked at the passing cars with increasingly confused expressions on their faces.

"See, this is why you needed to see," said Kim.

"It's probably just a caravan," said Hog. "A bunch of people going to an auto show or something."

"I waited here for ten minutes, went back to get you, and then came back and its still all the same thing," said Kim. "I'm no expert, so I can't say when, but even I can tell they're all old."

"They look brand new," said Motor Ed.

"They _are_ brand new," said Hog, finally getting what Kim was saying. "They're all recent models."

"No way," said Ed. "That's a '67 Mustang. And that's a '69 Firebird."

"Yup," nodded Hog. "That Firebird is either this years or last years model, since I haven't seen anything newer yet." He shook his head. "Somehow... we've gone back in time to 1970."

---------( KP )---------

Brick looked up from the screen when he heard Kim and company return. He saw the odd expressions on Hog and Ed's faces and decided the news was probably not good. "So, where are we?" he asked.

"In the year 1970," said Motor Ed, plainly.

"Probably somewhere in Idado," added Hog.

Brick blinked.

Then he looked back down at the screen. "Eh, stranger things have happened."

"Really?" asked Hog.

Brick paused. "No, but I think I'm starting to get used to all the strange things that have been happening around me in the last week or so." He rubbed his chin. "Though time travel I was certainly not expecting."

"Why aren't you panicking about this?" asked Kim. "I almost did and I've been inside of a cable box before."

"Well, I think I know how to get back," said Brick, pointing to the screen. "Assuming we can build a working car out of these two wrecks."

"Seriously?" said Ed.

"Well, hopefully," said Brick. "This log is detailed enough that we should be able to recreate the test almost exactly, assuming we have enough open space to travel on."

"How do we know that won't send us further back in time then?" asked Kim.

Brick hemmed and hawed for a few seconds before continuing. "See, according to the logs, we were all covered in energy-like stuff when we entered the black hole and--"

"Black hole?" asked Kim.

"Yeah, that's what happened when the shields collapsed, it created a mini black hole that sucked us in and then shot us out though time." Brick shrugged. "It makes about as much sense as anything."

"Good point."

"Anyway, so, the black hole that was picked up by the logs had like, two sides to it a plus side and a negative side. Depending on what kind of energy we were covered in, we were shot out of the opposite side." Brick winced. "Did that make any sense?"

"We were polarized," said Motor Ed. "If we reverse the polarity we were covered in, we could change the direction we were spit out of the black hole."

"Yeah... I guess," said Brick. "So... easy, right?"

---------( KP )---------

It took three days to transport the cyber-robotic parts onto the muscle car and get it running again. Apart from having a limited number of parts and only an assorted number of pocket tools and wrenches to work with, Kim had no idea how to work on a car and Brick spent all his time trying to figure out how to change the settings on the cyber-robotics. It was late night on the third day that Ed and Hog finally announced that they were done.

"That just leaves finding a long enough highway and getting the computer to do what we want," said Hog.

"I know where to go for the highway," said Kim. "I picked up a map when I went to that gas station. It looks like there's a nearby stretch of I-84 we can use that's long and straight enough."

"Brick?" prompted Hog.

"There... might be a problem with my end," said Brick.

"What?" asked Ed.

"Well, the cyber-robotics and the field emitters were created with Motor Ed's engine in mind. If you recall, they take a lot of power to run but Motor Ed's engine created that in scores, so it wasn't an issue."

"But my engine is toast," said Ed.

"Yeah," said Brick. "So... we're not going to have enough power in the muscle car to run the cyber-robotics and the field emitters at the same time for as long we need them to run to recreate the first test."

"So, we need more power?" asked Kim.

"Just a little bit, yeah," said Brick. "And a constant stream of it, the battery out of the roadster won't do."

"What about the alternator in the roadster?" asked Hog. "It might be salvageable."

"It doesn't have an engine to run off or anymore, though," said Brick.

"Nah, we don't need one," said Hog. "We connect it directly to the front axle of the roadster and use the rotational speed of the wheels to create the power."

"That would require us to tow the roadster behind us," said Ed. "And run a power cable from it into the muscle car."

"Just until we create the shield," said Hog. "Then we can cut it loose."

"But the wheels were damaged in the crash," said Brick. "Keeping it straight will require someone to actually drive it. Then they'd have to climb out after we have enough power for the shield, while it was in motion, and jump onto the muscle car before the gravity fold collapses or they'll be _stuck_ here in the past while the rest of us go back to the future."

Hog and Ed eyed each other wearily.

"It's too risky," assured Brick.

"It's the only way," said Hog. "I'll drive it."

---------( KP )---------

As the sun rose on their fourth day in 1970, Kim watched as the rays poked through a few of the trees and gave everything somewhat of a reddish hue. Because the trees were too densely lined she couldn't get a good view of the sun itself but she admired its affects all the same. As she leaned against a tree and thought about the sun, Brick came over and sat next to her.

"Hi... Kim," said Brick, somewhat awkwardly. He offered her a cup of coffee that had been made over a small fire that burned by the two cars. Kim had brought back some basic supplies from a store at the next exit on the highway. Brick didn't ask how she got the money for the goods, and Kim was not forthcoming with the information.

Kim nodded to Brick and gently took the cup from his hands and went back to admiring the trees in the morning light.

"Thanks for coming to stop us," said Brick, then flushed. It was a pretty lame thing to say.

"I got Felix's message," she said after sipping her coffee. The hot beverage took the chill out of the morning air. "He explained what was going on, about the engine and all, and stressed how hard you worked to help them escape."

"I wasn't able to help them on my own," said Brick. "Not without hurting myself in the process. I know I should have done more."

"Not everyone's cut out to be a hero," said Kim. "I'm just glad you were looking out for my friend."

Brick nodded, and the air was filled with silence once more. Brick thought about everything that had happened to him in the last week. Getting picked out to join a garage only to find out it was a gang. Stealing parts and kidnapping women. Building an engine straight out of a science fiction film, including force fields and anti-graviton whosits. Then being flung back in time and forced to find a way to get home. It was exciting. Much more exciting than being in the football team and dating Bonnie Rockwaller. Although sometimes Bonnie could be exciting too.

Despite all the action, however, it was unnerving. Brick had gained a tremendous amount of respect for Kim over the last week for the things she did. He could never do it all, putting his life on the line, living in near constant danger. He wondered how she ever got to sleep at all.

"You're incredible," said Brick, then realized he'd spoken aloud and turned red.

"Hah," laughed Kim. "Thanks. You're not too bad yourself, what with your apparent mechanical genius."

"I'm not a genius," said Brick.

"That's not how Felix described it, though he's a little prone to drama."

"I just understood this cyber-robotics stuff quicker than Ed and Hog," said Brick.

"Well, it looks like you're very well knowledgeable now," said Kim. "I wouldn't know the first place to look to get us home and there you were, typing away at that computer."

"It's fairly straightforward," said Brick. "Dr. Renton created it."

"I don't remember you being this modest in high school," said Kim.

This time Brick laughed. "Sorry, I just had a rough time at college."

"Gained some humility?" asked Kim. "I'm going through a little of that right now too."

"You?" asked Brick. "With everything you do for people, how can you feel like you haven't done enough?"

Kim frowned. "I can never do enough," she said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean my life is constantly at odds with itself," said Kim. "I've always got to choose between keeping or ignoring the parts I really care about. It's really... trying."

"Why can't you keep both?" asked Brick.

"Because there's only one of me, and I have enough to do to fill two people's worth of schedules. Some things that matter to me just take too much time to deal with and I have to... break them off."

Brick frowned and looked at Kim. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" asked Kim.

"I'm sorry that what I did added to your pile," said Brick.

Kim looked back at Brick, with her mouth slightly agape. She regained her composure a few seconds later. "It's okay, Brick, I understand."

They both sat silently then and watched the leaves brighten in the rising sun.

---------( KP )---------

On the other side of their makeshift camp, Ed and Hog were watching the small fire flicker as they occasionally threw various twigs and leaves into the open flame to watch it pop and sizzle. They had not said very much at all over the course of the night, but neither of them felt particularly bad about it as they were not chatty people.

"Tomorrow, I'll drive the roadster," said Ed rather abruptly. "I'm the better driver and if anything goes wrong I can be cut loose."

"What?" said Hog, surprised. "No way. I'll do it. You have to go back and at least claim credit for creating a time traveling car." He cracked a small smile.

"I may have seriously gone about this all wrong," said Ed, softly. "I'm not even sure what I was thinking. Dying in a blaze of glory is not like me, even if I do prefer it to going quietly into the night."

"I wouldn't be too hard on yourself," said Hog.

"No, man, I need to be hard on myself," said Ed. "Its one thing to go drifting behind a trailer for some extra miles per G but it's another to force a car full of passengers to endure it."

"It's what you had to do to get recognized," said Hog.

"I'm not sure ... it probably had nothing to do with that," admitted Ed. "I thought I wanted to be recognized, but I think all I wanted was the thrill after spending so much time in those monasteries." He leaned back against the car and looked up into the night sky. "The quiet shuffling around and non-existent dinner conversation is enough to drive anyone insane."

Hog laughed, then went silent as he stared at the fire again.

"I haven't been telling you the truth," Hog said quietly.

Ed turned away from the stars to look at Hog. "About what?"

"Why I came to you," said Hog. He was incredibly still as he talked. "I didn't wipe out on my bike. Well, I didn't _just_ wipe out."

"What happened?"

"I was... angry," said Hog slowly. "Angry at something... something stupid. A missed opportunity: a lost bonus at work. My manager was some real creep, always trying to 'help' people because it really helped him. But he couldn't have competition or he'd risk his job so he quietly and discretely pushed me down."

"That's business for you," said Ed.

Hog shook his head slightly. "I got on my bike in the rain when I found out I'd been screwed by him. You should never ride in the rain, but I did it anyway because I just ... felt ..." Hog looked up sympathetically to Ed. "When you're in business they, like, indoctrinate you. They make you think success is everything, that everything you do should be in pursuit of the next achievement, the next promotion or raise. The next bonus. You forget that life can be richer sometimes through failure. You forget that there are people in the world beside yourself and the people ahead of you in the management line."

Hog looked down then back at the fire. "So I was out in the rain and I took a turn too sharply and caught this little lip of a warped manhole cover and completely wiped out across the road. My bike went sliding and threw me off to the side. I broke my arm and leg, bruised a couple ribs, lots of stitches and casts. But I got away in the end."

His eyes narrowed. "But my bike, it slid into the opposite lane where this bus was. The driver tried to stop but the street was wet and my bike was leaking oil. It ran right over a corner at the intersection and plowed straight through this minivan, completely decimating it." He sighed and hung his head. "There was a family in that van. A mother and two children. They didn't have a chance."

"I was absolved of any guilt according to the law," Hog said after a minute. "The warped manhole took the blame and the guilt fell on the shoulder of the city maintenance. But that didn't change the fact that if I wasn't out there in the rain, those people would still be alive. I hated my job for making me angry, and I hated myself for destroying those lives. I wanted something, anything to do to stop thinking about it. I needed a cause, a project to give myself to, and I'd heard about you, wandering the world seeking mechanical enlightenment. I figured that was something ambiguous enough to never be resolved. I could just follow you for the rest of my life."

The two men sat next to each other while staring at the fire for several minutes. Neither said a word, they just gazed ahead and thought.

"Neither of us found what we were looking for, huh?" asked Motor Ed.

Hog shook his head. "No, but letting me help you -- help everyone get back to the future..." he said. He forced a smile on his face and looked up to Ed. "It's a start. "

"Fine. But when we _both_ get back to the future," said Ed. "We're going to show the world we can make it better. The right way."

"After the jail time, you mean," said Hog.

Ed laughed.

---------( KP )---------

After rolling both cars onto the highway, Ed and Kim double checked the ropes and the power cord tying the roadster to the muscle car. They felt sturdy, despite being pieced together from remnants lying about the car and a small nylon rope Kim was able to get at the convenience store. There was no way to get them attached as well as they wanted, seeing as they were missing a spot welder and the necessary spare metal to construct a harness. As it was, though, they figured it would survive the stress from the 160 miles per hour it had to be pulled at before the shields collapsed.

Brick was already in the muscle car, trying to get the cyber-robotics connected to the control console while Hog sat in the roadster testing the steering. Kim headed for the muscle car to check on Brick while Hog walked back to the roadster.

"How's it look?" asked Hog.

"It'll be hard to get them to turn," said Ed. "Hopefully nobody will wander out onto the highway while we're driving."

"Kim said it's not a busy section of road, if we give enough lead time on the car in front of us we'll be okay," said Hog. "Just keep a window open for me to get in."

"All the windows on the muscle car were blown out in the crash," said Ed, looking forward at the worn and now damaged vehicle. "Shouldn't have any problem climbing through the back." He turned back to Hog and frowned. "You sure you wanna do this?"

"Come on," Hog waved him off. "Times a wastin', let's get this caravan moving."

Ed gave a second's consideration to Hog before turning back getting behind the driver's seat of the muscle car. Kim waved back to Hog before getting in behind him and putting on her seatbelt. Brick hunched over glowing console punching buttons and looking haggard. Kim eyed him wearily.

"You okay, Brick?" asked Kim.

"I'm... not really sure any of this is going to work," he admitted. "I'm not an expert, I'm just trying to figure it out."

"What's the worst that could happen?" asked Kim.

"We could die," said Brick flatly. "There really is no reason we didn't the first time around, to tell you the truth. I'm hoping that if we match everything to the original test we'll undo it, but... I don't know."

"Well, I'm not going to live though the seventies, so we might as well give it a try," said Kim. "My parents are still in high school right now."

"It seems like this should work," said Brick. "I think."

"Good enough for me," said Kim. She slapped Ed on the shoulder. "Ready?"

Motor Ed nodded and wordlessly started the car and slowly accelerated so as not to put too much strain on the ropes tying the cars together. The broken windows caused a torrent of wind to blow through the car and Kim pulled her hair back to keep it out of her face. As they slowly got up to speed, Brick looked back along the cord snaking out the back window and under the hood of the roadster as it whipped around in the breeze.

"Kim, hold that cord down, we don't want it to break loose," said Brick.

Kim nodded and reached back to grab it carefully and hold it down against the trunk hood. Brick looked back at his console and changed screens to show the diagnostics on the field emitters.

"The field emitters are getting power and charging," said Brick. "It looks like its working. What's our speed?"

"Seventy-five miles per hour," said Ed, looking at the dash.

Brick nodded and changed screens again. "We have to get it up to at least 130," he said. "After that the shields should stay up long enough to get us to 158 before the collapse."

Motor Ed nodded and pressed further down on the gas. The wind flying through the cab grew in intensity and Motor Ed's eyes were like slits in order to see against the onslaught. Brick had the benefit of hiding behind the cyber-robotic console and Kim kept herself largely behind the driver's seat while sneaking glances out the back to make sure Hog was alright. Since the windshield on the roadster was still intact he was having a slightly better time against the elements but based on his white knuckles and grimace, she figured he was having a significantly hard time keeping the wheel straight.

"Ninety-five," Ed said, risking a glance at the speedometer. His head was against his headrest now and the skin on his cheeks was rippling in the wind.

"Keep going," said Brick over the sound caused by the gale wind.

"Not much faster I can get towing another car like this," Ed yelled back.

"We need another thirty miles per hour!" insisted Brick.

"There's seriously too much drag," yelled Ed. "The windows do more than keep the wind out of your face!"

Brick looked down at his console and then slowly back at Kim. He shook his head slowly.

"One hundred!" Ed reported.

Kim leaned forward against the gale to get closer to Ed and Brick. "We're going to run out of straight highway at this rate," she called out.

"Seriously, Red, there's nothing I can do, we're going to get 105 or 110, _tops_!"

Kim looked to Brick. "Can you activate the shields now?" she asked.

"They won't last long, I'm not sure if we'll make it up to speed," Brick shook his head.

"We gotta do it!" yelled Kim. "Turn them on!"

Brick nodded then turned back to his console. With a wince he hit the buttons to change the automated activation speed from 120 to 100 mph. The console immediately flashed red as the sound of the emitters priming filled the air. It sounded like a series of tone that rose exponentially in pitch until they were beyond their ability to hear.

"Shield activation in three seconds!" Brick called out. Kim and Brick braced themselves as the second ran out and the whole car lurched forward for a microsecond before coming crashing bad and shaking widely. Kim found herself thrown against her harness back and forth and Brick held on to the console for his life.

"What's going on?" yelled Ed as he struggled to keep the car from swerving across the lane. "This is not at all like it was last time!"

Brick pushed his head against the panel to keep the wind out of his eyes enough to read it. "We don't have enough power!" he yelled. "We can't form the shields entirely around both cars. Part of the roadster is exposed!"

"We ain't getting much faster," Ed yelled.

"We need to get Hog up here and then cut it loose!" Kim yelled then grit her teeth and gripped the seat to turn around and release her harness. Wedging her legs against the seats behind her she poked her head up over the back seat. She gasped as what she saw.

The front half of the roadster looked like it had before with Hog in front struggling with the wheel. But the back half of the car was twisted and distended, getting longer and more angled by the second. It was like everything past the front seats of the car was made out of taffy and was being pulled back and forth from behind. As she watched the passenger side door of the roadster suddenly gave out a wrenching sound and snapped free of its hinge, flying wide to the left before being twisted into a ball and shredded to bits before flying past the edge of the shield.

Kim looked at the vanishing debris with horror and quickly regained her composure. She waved at Hog, beckoning him towards the muscle car. He nodded shortly and pulled out a small glass pinch. Holding it up to the windshield he quickly ducked his head down and pressed the button, causing the windshield to shatter and immediately get blown through the cab, quickly joining the shredded debris fading rapidly into the distance behind them.

Hog picked his head up into the wind again and made an 'OK' sign with his hands. Reaching below the wheel he pulled out the belt they'd bolted there to hold the steering wheel still while he climbed out. The belt would keep the car steady for a short period of time as long as the muscle car remained absolutely straight.

"He's coming up!" yelled Kim back at Ed so he knew to try not to make the slightest turn of the wheel.

"We've only got enough power for another minute and a half!" yelled Brick. "Tell him to hurry!"

Hog slipped out from behind the wheel and put his hands through the windshield opening to start climbing out. Just as he got his feet onto the front bench to climb through he heard another wrenching sound and turned in time to see the top of the roadster tearing as it stretched into the abyss behind him. Hog quickly threw himself down on the dash and hood and put his hands over his neck. With a crack the roof snapped and flew away, exposing the insides of the car to the elements. Hog picked his head up and looked back to see the roof getting crushed and shredded. He swallowed.

"Sixty seconds!" yelled Brick.

Hog turned forward again and moved to climb out onto the hood. The car was shaking roughly as he slowly crawled forward, putting his knee out onto the dashboard first then bringing his other leg forward to step on the dash and push himself onto the hood. With a heave he managed to get himself entirely onto the hood, but found himself clinging to the lip for dear life or be shaken off.

"Forty-five seconds!"

"We're only at 140 mph!" said Ed.

Kim leaned out the back window with her arms extended. "Hog!" she yelled. "Hurry!"

Hog looked up with gritted teeth as he lay prone on the hood of what was left of the roadster. He released one of his hands to pull himself forward and felt himself quickly slipping back towards the dash again. He scrambled wildly to get a grip again and managed to pull himself back up to the front of the hood.

"Hog!" yelled Kim, her arms still out.

Hog looked up at her with a pained expression. He shook his head slowly.

"Twenty-five seconds!" yelled Brick. "It's now or nothing, get him in here!"

"I'm trying!" Kim called back. She looked down at Hog at the front of the roadster clinging to the hood for dear life. He looked up at her and yelled something she couldn't hear over the sound of wind. "What?" she yelled to him.

Hog shook his head but this time he smiled. He pulled himself ever so slightly forward so he could get his arm over the front grill of the roadster. Hooking his arm down the front end of the car he let go with his other hand and held it up to Kim. She reached out to him but there were still several feet apart. Kim struggled and tried to climb out further onto the trunk, wrapping the rear harness around her legs to keep from falling out.

Hog held up his hand in a 'stop' motion, and Kim hesitated. Hog made an 'OK' sign with his hands next and continued to smile at Kim. She stared back in confusion which quickly turned to horror as Hog reached into his pocket and pulled out his knife.

"DON'T!" cried Kim.

With a smile, Hog reached over hood and cut the first rope holding the cars together. Immediately the roadster lurched backwards, increasing the distance between the two cars and heavily stretching the remaining rope and the power cord. More of the car was now exposed and the passenger sears and the driver's door was quickly gobbled up in the vortex.

"Ten seconds!"

"150 mph!" yelled Ed.

Hog yelled something again but, as before, Kim couldn't hear it. He seemed pleased with himself though and made a curt wave just before the last rope snapped and the roadster was flung back, causing the muscle car to lurch forward. Kim was thrown against the hood but hung on thanks to the harness around her legs. Brick and Ed immediately felt the speed boost as the landscape around them blurred.

"Too fast!" yelled Brick suddenly. "We're going too fast!"

"I can't slow it down!" yelled Ed, slamming on the breaks. "How much time unti--"

Then both shields failed and everything went white again.

---------( KP )---------

In the Speedway command center, everyone stared at the monitors that showed the bright white explosion and the lack of any remains. Even checking the other cameras on the speedway with Ulrich's help resulted in nothing.

"Was that supposed to happen?" asked Ron to Dr. Renton.

"Not... exactly," said Dr. Renton, frowning. She expected the whole thing to either fail or go critical and explode but the entire car looked like it had vaporized and taken the muscle car with it. Even a catastrophic failure of the high mass generators should have at least produced a few pieces of highly compressed debris. This was completely irregular. "Not unless they tore a hole in the fabric of the universe and got sucked in."

"Is that possible?" asked Zita, surprised.

Dr. Renton shrugged. "Dimensional theorem is not my field of expertise."

A ringing noise interrupted the conversation and Ron reached into his pocket to find his cell phone going off. He considered not answering it, the shock of Kim being vaporized was still registering, but opened the phone anyway, hoping to think about anything else other than what had just happened.

"Hey, you guys alright over there?"

Ron blinked. "Kim?" he said, experimentally. The rest of the room turned his way and stared.

"Yeah, it's me," said Kim over the phone. "Did you guys take care of Jig and Dorothy and save Felix and his mother?"

"Er... yeah," said Ron. "Where... are you?"

"Middleton," said Kim.

"..." said Ron.

"It's a long story," said Kim. "But Motor Ed is in custody."

"Then... everything is over?" asked Ron, thoroughly confused. He would have to get this explanation, in detail, from her when he saw her again.

"Yup, come on home," said Kim.

"Huh," said Ron, unsure of what else to say.

---------( KP )---------

"So you actually got back before you left?" asked Felix.

"Yup," nodded Kim. "Quite a bit before we left, actually. I had to wait until I knew I was gone before calling though, I wasn't sure what effect it would have if I didn't."

Felix leaned back in his wheelchair. "Wow," he said in awe. "Time travel..."

They were sitting in the living room of Kim's house, along with Ron, Yori, Zita, and Malcolm. Brick was still dealing with questions at the police station to determine his culpability in the kidnapping and hostile takeover of the Bonneville Speedway. Dr. Renton was also still at the police station, refusing to leave until they absolved Brick of any crimes for his role in helping them try to keep the engine from exploding.

"Don't get too hung up on it," said Kim. "The muscle car got trashed during the return trip, it's not going to be going anywhere anytime soon."

"I can't believe you were thirty years in the past and you didn't do anything!" Malcolm burst, unable to contain himself anymore. "I mean, you didn't go exploring? Didn't put money in an account to retrieve today? You were a speculative fiction writer's _playground_ and you didn't take advantage of it at all!"

Kim laughed. "I really just wanted to get home," she said between chuckles. "It's been a very, very long week."

"Thirty years long," said Zita.

"I never expected something so zany to come from anyone other than Drakken," said Kim slowly shaking her head.

"Ed is a Lipsky," said Ron. "Zany probably runs in the family."

"It's a shame what happened to Hog, though," said Zita solemnly.

"Actually, it's not too terrible," said Kim with a smile. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of yellowed paper. "This came in the mail this afternoon." She held it out to Zita who took it and unfolded it cautiously.

"It's a letter," said Zita, her eyes widening. "From Hog..."

---------( KP )---------

Hog crawled from the wreckage of the roadster and patted himself down, surprised that all his parts were still attached. He had some brush burns on his forearms and face but otherwise felt fine, if fatigued. He looked around at the trail of twisted metal on the highway behind him in wonderment. How anyone could survive that was a miracle and he did it with barely a scratch on him. He figured he had the blessings of the gods.

He was, however, in the middle of Idaho somewhere with no ride, so maybe it was blessing with a few caveats. He turned to face down the road and began walking backwards, his hand out, thumb raised high.

It was dark by the time a car passed by that stopped for him, a large rounded van colored a series of extravagant colors. The driver rolled down the passenger window and looked over at Hog who, as usual, smiled back. The driver had a large pompadour of curly brown hair, large eyebrows, and a thin face with a sharp chin. He had a yellow shirt with a large collar and bellbottom jeans. Despite the time of night and relative darkness, he apparently was wearing sunglasses.

"Hey... man, where you headed?" the driver asked.

Hog hesitated, having forgotten entirely to ponder that question. He knew nobody in this time that he could actually talk to without causing several inconvenient questions, and without valid ID he was little more than a drifter. "I'm... not really sure," Hog said. "Anywhere, I suppose."

"Groovy," said the driver. "A wanderer, like me." He reached over and opened the door for Hog. "Come on in."

Hog nodded in thanks and climbed into the van and closed the door behind him. It felt good to finally be off his feet and he leaned back and sighed contently. The driver threw the car back into gear and drove off down the road.

"Thank you, kindly," said Hog after they got moving. "I have been walking for quite a while."

"Did you see that wreckage on the highway a few miles back?" asked the driver.

Hog laughed in reply.

"What?" asked the driver.

"Nothing," Hog shook his head. "So, what's your name?"

"Ricky," said the driver. "How about you?"

"I'm..." he hesitated for a second time. He really needed to plan this out better. He was stuck in a time years before his own and needed to not get mixed up in what he was sure was his own already developing life. "I'm really nameless right now. I've had several names, but none of them are useful anymore. I am a true wanderer, like you said."

"That's completely radical," said the driver. "I guess I'll call you Wander then."

Hog's smile faded and he got a weird look on his face, like the world was suddenly turned upside for him. Then, after a moment, he grinned widely. "Wander it is," he said, barely containing his laughter.

"What's so funny?" asked Ricky.

"Nothing, really," said Hog, still grinning. "At least, nothing that won't be funny for about thirty years."

---------( KP )---------

Zita flipped the letter over, looked at the back, then flipped it again. "That's it?" asked Zita. "Just, 'Kim: Don't worry about me. Some good deeds are worth sacrificing everything over. --Hog'" She looked up at Kim. "What does it mean?"

Kim shrugged. "Not entirely sure, but I think it means he's happy in 1970."

Malcolm and Ron leaned in and looked at the letter as well. "Weird," said Malcolm, shaking his head.

"So," said Ron, looking up at Kim. "I guess that means this mission is wrapped up."

Kim looked at everyone slowly, going across the room from eye to eye. "Yeah," she said slowly. "It really couldn't have been done without all of your help, though."

"Anytime," said Zita.

"It certainly was an adventure," said Malcolm.

"You know I'll be there when you need me," said Ron. "From now on."

"It was, again, an honor to fight beside you, Possible-san," said Yori.

"Maybe next time I won't get captured," laughed Felix. Everyone else laughed as well. It was an odd sentiment to find humor in, but it had been one of those days.

Kim calmed her laughed and softly said, "'Next time,' huh?"

"Well, assuming you want help again," said Felix. "I know you've got Ron back now, so maybe you don't need us. But, you know, if you DID need me again, I'd be glad to help."

"Me too," said Malcolm.

Kim seemed pensive for a moment but then relaxed. "I do, actually, need help," she said. "I can't... do what it is I do without friends. Team Possible was not just Ron, Wade, and me. It was everyone who helped. And everyone who gave us a ride." Kim looked at Ron. "I ... forgot that, for a little while, and thought I was alone." She looked to Felix. "But I wasn't." Felix nodded to her with a small smile.

"So, if everyone is okay with it," continued Kim. "I'd like to think we're all the _new_--"

The doorbell rang and interrupted Kim's sentence. She turned to look at the door, then looked back to everyone. "I mean, uh... I'd like to think we're--"

"Kimmie sweetheart, can you get the door?" Kim's mother called from the kitchen.

Kim hung her head for a second and the laughed. "Just a second," she said and got up to walk to the door. As she reached for the handle, she started to say, "With my luck this'll end up being something..."

She trailed off as she looked at who was just beyond the doorway. He was a tall boy with short red hair, an athletic build, and dressed in a black shirt with baggy olive cargo pants. He looked back at her with something similar to relief.

"Hi," said the stranger. "My name is Ken Possible and I was wondering, by any chance, do you know what the Mantle of Tenoch is?"

Kim stared.

"... being something weird."

---------( **END EPISODE 3** )---------


	9. Episode 4: Identity Crisis

_(Revision 1.0)_

**Author's Foreword**: I really disliked splitting up Episode 3 into 5 parts, so I've gone back to putting this whole episode as one chapter. I know that it makes it cumbersome to read, but there are plenty of options now for reading fanfics with in-chapter bookmarks. My favorite is "Fanfiction Reader", available on the Android Market. Also, there is FLAG (Fanfiction Lightweight Automated Grabber), the web service that can PDF (or ePub/Mobi) any fanfic on Fanfiction dot net for Kindle or tablet reading. I don't have any Apple products but I'm sure a similar service exists on the AppStore as well.

Also! I'm sorry for the nearly 4 year delay in this episode. I got busy. And writer's block. And- OOOH! SHINY!

Incidentally, Merry Christmas 2011!

Previously, on _**Apocolocyntosis**_:

- KP –

"Tell me, Stoppable-san," started Master Sensei. "What was the result of your quest last night?"

"I found Shego," said Ron, shifting slightly back and forth on the tatami mat. "She was in one of the worlds I visited taking care of two children. I honestly couldn't believe it, she's not exactly what I'd call the 'mothering' type."

- KP -

The calming feeling didn't last long. "What the hell happened to me, Kimmie?" she croaked. Some things danced in her memory, but they had yet to align properly for her to recall.

Kim sat down slowly and frowned at her. "You're in a hospital," she said.

"No kidding? I figured that part out already, _genius_!" snapped Shego. "_Why_ am I in the hospital?"

"You were in a coma, Shego," said Kim. "Six months."

"A coma?" said Shego, getting worked up. She tried to sit upright but felt too weak to do so, so she simply rose her voice. "How did I end up in a coma?"

- KP -

"Bella Negra," said the figure, and Celeste froze. The voice sounded old, and hoarse. "I guess this means you're not too comfy with the Architect anymore."

"Who the hell are you?" snapped Celeste as he her hand finally found another knife and she tightened her fingers around it.

"An old friend," said the woman. "Although not nearly as old as I appear."

No. There was absolutely no way it could be her. "Shego?"

The woman nodded.

"Impossible," concluded Celeste.

"I need your help."

"My help?" asked Celeste. This was far off in the realm of 'never believed would ever happen.'

"Believe it or not," said Shego. "You're the only person who's ever been completely honest with me."

Celeste blinked.

"I've got some people looking for me," Shego continued. "I need to vanish for a while to regroup. When I saw you at the clinic... I thought you might help me."

- KP –

From the oozing blackness, a figure appeared in the shape of a well built man dressed all in black. He was tall, quiet, and imposing.

Wade Load simply got up from his sitting position and put his hands on his hips. "What now?" he asked, with a scowl.

"I can't find the Panther," said the black figure.

"Sorry to hear that," said Wade in a tone of voice that indicated, clearly, that he wasn't.

"Help me find the Panther," insisted the figure.

"Let. Me. Go," insisted Wade.

"I will not," said the figure. He spoke in complete monotone matching the singular color of his dress, and the singular purpose for which he acted. "You cannot be released."

"Then stop asking for my advice," said Wade.

- KP –

"A good warrior knows when to fight and when to run," said Yuudai. "We are outnumber, surprised, and concerned for our students. We must run today."

"But-"

"Listen to me, Yori-san," said Yuudai-sensei. "I want you to go with Stoppable-san back to America and _stay there_ until we call for you."

"America?" asked Yori. "Why?"

"It is safe there for you," he said. "Stoppable-san has many powerful friends there that will keep you safe until we are ready to take back Yamanouchi."

- KP -

"W-wait!" said Kim, standing suddenly. Zita and Malcolm turned, looking anxious. "What's the play?"

Zita breathed and smiled. "Phantom of the Opera."

Kim blinked. "Y-you want me to be Christine!"

Zita nodded, then turned on her foot and headed out.

Kim fell back into her chair. "What did I get myself into?"

- KP –

She trailed off as she looked at who was just beyond the doorway. He was a tall boy with short red hair, an athletic build, and dressed in a black shirt with baggy olive cargo pants. He looked back at her with something similar to relief.

"Hi," said the stranger. "My name is Ken Possible and I was wondering, by any chance, do you know what the Mantle of Tenoch is?"

- KP –

_And now, the continuation..._

-(KP)-

The plump, dark-haired and freckled woman pushed her bright orange glasses up onto her nose with the back of her hand and then picked up the syringe. She flicked the needle twice with the forefinger of her other hand and then looked up at her elderly patient, sitting quietly on the cold metal table in the plain but sterile room.

"There will be a bit of a burning feeling, dearie," said DNAmy as she smiled a toothy grin. "It'll pass in a few seconds."

Shego snapped her head towards the deranged scientist, causing her long gray hair to whip around and land spread out on the table behind her. "Whatever," she said. "Just get it over with."

DNAmy shrugged and poked the needle into Shego's exposed thigh, quickly depressing the plunger, and then removing it in a single motion. She looked at the injection site once, and then nodded to herself with an audible 'Hmm.' The syringe was tossed into an open trash can and then the scientist picked up a clipboard to record her results.

Shego gripped the table so suddenly that the metal groaned under her palms. She grit her teeth tightly and curled her lips. "A _little_ burning?" she said.

"Can't handle a little pain?" asked DNAmy, not looking up.

Shego grunted and looked away again, squeezing her eyes shut. The pain was already beginning to pass; she just had to ride it out. She tried to occupy her thoughts by imagining what she'd do if the treatment was successful, but too many failures had poisoned her attitude.

The burning feeling passed and Shego opened her eyes again. She looked down at the injection site and saw a slight redness around the small hole, but nothing else had changed. She looked up at the clock on the wall.

"How long should it take?" she asked.

DNAmy checked her watch. "Should start to see bonding and mutation in the first couple of minutes," she said. "Though you have a unique biology from my other... hmmm... patients."

"Fine, when will we know it hasn't worked?"

"If there's no change after an hour, you'll knonw," said DNAmy. She shrugged and turned away to begin putting her supplies back in the duffel bag she'd brought with her.

Shego hopped down from the table with an awkward thud and pulled up her pants. Then she went looking for her boots. "What's next if this doesn't work?"

"You _know_ what's left," DNAmy said as she packed. "Genetic recombination. Where we **should** have started. All these viral mutagens are such time wasters. Why try to correct when we can improve!"

"I don't want to end up with a horn or hooves, thank you very much," Shego sneered. "Besides, old age is not a genetic abnormality. What are you going to splice me with? A baby?"

"In my experiments - prior to my recombinator being destroyed, that is - I'd spliced two animals of different ages together," explained DNAmy. "The resultant cuddle- er, subject often took on the apparent age of the younger creature, as far as I could tell."

"I still don't want to be spliced with a hamster," Shego said while shaking her head. "Besides, how often is 'often'? How many sentient creatures did you 'splice' with your recombinator? And which mind did your monsters end up having?"

DNAmy tapped her chin. "Hmm, hard to say. Neither creature would really have the requisite knowledge to control the body of the combined subject, so I assumed it was a new mind built from pieces of both."

"Yeah, so, not gonna happen." Shego flicked her hair behind her back and pulled on her boots. "Focus on creating a ... mutagen, or whatever you called it, that can control aging." She motioned with her head towards the door and then led the way.

"Easier said than done!" Amy called after her. She picked up her bag quickly then ran after Shego. The two exited the spartan room and entered a long hallway with windows overlooking a sandy beach and an ever expansive ocean. "If I could develop a cure for aging, I'd be rich without any payment from you." Amy paused in front of the windows and stared at the beautiful vista.

"Honestly, I don't understand why you bother," Amy said. "So you're a little old? You've have an island!"

"I have _a_ building _on_ an island," corrected Shego.

"Just relax on the beach! Hire some cabana boys to wander around half-naked. Throw a party every night."

Shego stopped walking and looked back. "Would you? Give up all your science to lay on the beach?"

"Absolutely!" said DNAmy. "Well, assuming I could get the right boy to lie on the beach with me." She smiled demurely. Rather, she tried to smile demurely the actual result was somewhat more menacing.

"Hmph," grunted Shego. "Come on." She turned and headed back down the hall. Amy eventually followed.

They walked the rest of the way in silence with only the click of Shego's heels and squeak of Amy's sneakers to accompany them until they came into a large atrium. It was at least three stories tall with giant windows that looked onto the beach. Hanging in front of the windows were several pieces of smoked glass that reflected the computer screens being projected onto them so everyone could see. Senior Senior Junior was sitting at a large glass table to one side of the room with a keyboard and mouse that controlled one of the screens. Celeste Beaumont, also known as the cat burglar Bella Negra, was sitting at another table controlling the center, and largest, screen.

"Hey, Boss," said Celeste, looking up. "Looking younger than ever."

Shego grumbled. "What's going on?"

The center screen turned dark for a second, and then was replaced by a mug shot of a muscular man with long blonde hair and a mustache. "Motor Ed was just arrested," said Celeste. "Courtesy of your favorite hero."

"Whatever." Shego rolled her eyes. "Last thing I'm looking for is another Lipsky."

DNAmy looked at the screens with wide eyes. "Are you... keeping tabs on the other villains?"

Shego didn't bother to look down. "Of course," she said. "How do you think I found you?"

"HenchCo provides a data feed," chimed in Celeste from her desk. "All access pass to local police, DMV, FBI, CIA, NSA, INTERPOL, and other ripe databases of interest." She grinned. "Assuming you're a premium member, of course."

"I got a senior citizen's discount," Shego wryly commented.

"Y-you don't happen to know where my little Monty is... do you?" asked DNAmy.

Shego blinked and then turned to face the scientist. She seemed even smaller than usual. Her hands were clasped before her in a nearly genuine look of hope.

"No," said Shego, without her normal edge. Then, without thinking, she continued. "We looked for him, but last anyone saw of him . he was boarding a flight to Japan. But... he never got off."

"Oh," DNAmy said quietly sagged.

Shego suddenly wasn't sure what to do. Part of her felt like she should have sympathy for the villain who'd lost track of her lover, while the other part of her reminded Shego that this was _DNAmy_ she was thinking about. She was even more twisted than Drakken, and that was saying something.

"Boss."

Shego welcomed the interruption and looked back to Celeste. "What?"

"There's something else you should see."

The center screen changed again, this time showing the mug shots of another man, less muscular, with a shaved head and a chiseled jaw. His eyes were squinted and barely visible. Shego didn't recognize him.

Celeste motioned towards the hanging screen. "This is Donny Callahan, also known as Axel."

"So?" asked Shego.

"He was arrested a couple days ago, but was apparently part of Motor Ed's crew," explained Celeste. She pressed a button and a series of statistics overlayed on the picture. "Exceptional build, good agility, generally quiet, no obvious quirks apart from the shaved head... which I hear is not too unusual these days," added Celeste. "Some girls find it a turn on."

Junior stopped his typing and looked back at Celeste in surprise. Shego just shook her head.

"So he's a henchman," said Shego. "He's not worth the effort of busting him out of jail. Henchmen are a dime a dozen." She considered that statement. "Literally if you make synthodrones in bulk."

"Synthodrones?" Celeste said with disbelief. "Boring, stupid, they gotta wear the plug-suit, _and_-" she tapped her keyboard again. The screen displayed a graph with a series of curved lines at different heights. The top line was highlighted red. "Synthodrones don't have this. Cognitive ability scores. He ranks in the ninety-ninth percentile."

Shego frowned. "He's a genius? Why the hell was he henching for Motor Ed?"

Celeste wagged her finger at Shego. "Don't forget, Motor Ed is a genius too. He just acts like a nimrod, but he's an engineering superstar." The screen changed again to show more text. "He didn't finish high school - dropped out as a junior to join a biker gang - so he's never really had the opportunity to show his talents." The screen faded to black again and Celeste leaned on her desk. "So that means he's smart, quiet, strong, and follows orders. Perfect henching material. Ed didn't know what he had."

"I imagine he did," said Shego. She put a finger to a chin for a minute. "Middleton, you said?"

"Yup," nodded Celeste.

Shego glanced at DNAmy, and then back at Celeste. "Well, I'm heading near there anyway, it wouldn't be too hard to stop and have a chat."

"Want me to tag-"

"No," Shego said brusquely as she turned towards the door. "Come on, Amy." She quickly stalked out with DNAmy following after.

-(KP)-

Disney's Kim Possible in

**Apocolocyntosis**

By Adam Leigh

Episode 4:

"Identity Crisis"

-(KP)-

Kim Possible stood in the foyer looking at the stranger before her and wondering if she should just shut the door and be rid of the hassle. He was about twenty six years old, tall, with short red hair, green eyes, an athletic build, and wearing a loose black shirt and heavily weathered olive cargo pants. She'd never met him before now, but he looked incredibly familiar. As if he should be family but...

"Ken _Possible_?" asked Kim. "As in, my family Possible?"

The man grimaced slightly. "Yes, in a way," he said. "So, Mantle of Tenoch. Ever heard of it?"

Kim tried to weigh the pros and cons of telling this stranger anything about the Mantle, considering how much trouble it caused. While she debated, Ron came up behind her. He looked at Ken and his jaw dropped.

"Ken Possible?" Ron asked in a confused tone. Then his eyes widened. "Oh no, is this a dream?" He shut his eyes tightly and looked as if he was concentrating very hard.

"You know me?" asked Ken through the doorway.

"You know him?" Kim said, turning on her heel.

"Yeah, sure," said Ron, slowly opening his eyes. Then he backpedaled. "Well, I mean, not _know_, know him. I've seen him."

Ken stared at Ron blankly. "Where?"

"On your world," said Ron. "Where everyone is the wr- a _different_ gender."

"Sex, not gender," said Ken. "You're a dimensional traveler? You've been to other worlds?"

"Different gender?" asked Kim, quickly lost in the conversation. "Other worlds?"

"Dreamwalker," said Ron. "And yeah, lots of them. I was looking for... someone, but she was lost, so I had to wander around a bit."

Ken stiffened suddenly and his eyes got even wider. "Were you looking for... Shego?"

"Er, yeah," nodded Ron. "That's right. How did you know?"

The corner of the man's mouth quirked upwards. "Heh," he sounded quietly.

"What is going on?" asked Kim, finally. "Who are you? What are you two talking about? And what does Shego have to do with all this?"

"HAHA!" Ken burst out laughing, loudly. He thrust his fist in the air and jumped slightly in joy. "Yes! I found her!" He smiled larger than it seemed his face could contain. "At last!"

Kim frowned and looked at Ron. "Do you know what he is talking about?"

"Um," started Ron. He squinted as he parsed the question. "Which part?"

"I'll settle for anything at this point," shrugged Kim. She shook her head slowly.

"Is she here?" Ken interrupted as he took a breath. He was leering forward now, interjecting between Kim and Ron.

"Who?" Kim asked with a frown.

"Shego!" Ken raised his arms high.

"No, why would she be here?"

"She... she came back, right?" Ken said, now looking worried. His eyes darted between Kim and Ron. "I mean, she _had_ to get here before me, I _followed_ her."

"Came back from where?" Kim asked. Her voice was rising in tone in exasperation over Ken's apparent inability to talk about anything else. "She was in a coma until last month!"

"Not... exactly, KP," said Ron.

"A coma?" asked Ken.

"Guys!"

Ken, Kim, and Ron turned to see Zita had come up behind them. She looked annoyed and had a hand on her hip. "Do you think that maybe you should take this conversation indoors?" She motioned towards the living room. "And include the rest of us, perhaps?"

The trio by the door exchanged awkward glances, and then Ken straightened himself and formally bowed.

"Ms. Possible, may I come in?" asked Ken.

Kim rolled her eyes. "I think you'd better," she said simply, then stepped aside.

Ken strode in and followed Zita as she led the way to the living room. Kim closed the door behind the stranger and shared a look with Ron.

"You understand what's going on?" asked Kim, quietly.

"Sorta," admitted Ron. "I mean, I can at least say he's related to you in a way, and that he's probably trustworthy."

"_How_ do you know that?"

"I..." Ron hesitated again. "It's complicated, and it has to do with what I've been doing in the last six months."

"Ron..." Kim started.

"There just hasn't been time to explain before now."

Kim sighed, and shook her head. She was starting to get angry with Ron, but she was unsure how much of that was him hiding more things from her, and how much of it was just feeling hurt in general because of what happened between them. It had only been a few days ago - and a 30 year trip into the past - since they broke up, and she still felt conflicted. How on earth did people ever date then become friends again?

"Let's hear what he has to say," Kim said patiently. "You'll fill in blanks for us if we need it, right?"

"Of course," nodded Ron.

"Alright," said Kim. She headed past Ron out of the foyer and into the living room where everyone else was already seated. Ken was sitting in one of the recliners while Yori, Malcolm Needious, and Zita Flores were on the couch. Felix Renton was beside the couch on Zita's side, leaving only the other recliner empty. Ron walked over to stand beside the chair while Kim, after a moment, sat in it.

"Okay, let's hear it from the top," said Kim. She folded her arms and leaned slightly back in her chair. Her eyes were fixed on Ken. Despite all of Ron's assurances, she wasn't sure what to expect from this stranger who claimed to be part of her family and who seemed to know about the Mantle of Tenoch, something that led to an awful lot of trouble for all of them.

"This may sound absurd, but I promise you, it's the truth," said Ken. He took a deep breath and tried to look as serious as he could. "I'm from another dimension, an alternate reality to this one, where everyone – _nearly_ everyone is the opposite sex from here."

Zita, Malcolm, and Felix all stared blankly at Ken. Malcolm even had his mouth hanging open. Yori, on the other hand, nodded in response. Kim looked thoughtful for a second then said, "Okay, that is unexpected, but I was just time traveling earlier today, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

"Oh," said Ken, seemingly surprised. "Thanks. You're taking this better than the other versions of me that I've met."

"Versions of you?" asked Kim.

"Yeah. You're me... I mean, I'm you," said Ken. "I'm the Kim Possible of my world. Except I'm a guy." He looked at Kim closely. "Also, I'm older."

"You're... me?" said Kim. Her brow arched and she pointed her thumb at her chest.

"Yeah," nodded Ken. "You see I was born a... no. No, that would take too long to explain. Essentially, a minor change in genetics years ago resulted in me instead of you on my world. Which, I've found, is a bit of an anomaly. Most worlds are like this one, where you're a girl and not like me."

"So, you're what Kim would have turned out like if she was a guy?" asked Malcolm. He looked a little pale for some reason.

"Right," nodded Ken.

"Wow," said Felix.

"And everyone else on your world is like that," asked Zita. "There's a guy version of me and a girl version of... Felix, let's say?"

"Should be," nodded Ken with a smile. Zita glanced at Felix with a small smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Everyone's opposite," continued Ken. His smile faded somewhat. "Well, almost everyone. There's a small percentage of people who are the same, but I'm not really familiar with any of them apart from Team Go."

"Team Go?" asked Kim. "You mean Shego's family?"

"Yes," said Ken. "Whatever gave her and her brothers powers also made them... er, I guess there's no easy way to explain this. The short story is that Shego is a woman and she has brothers, which seems to be how it is in every world I've been to."

"How many worlds have you been to?" asked Felix.

"Eight, including this one."

"And you're looking for the Mantle of Tenoch?" asked Kim.

"Hm? Oh. No, I'm not looking for the Mantle." Ken shook his head. "I just asked you that because I've learned it's unique to the world I'm looking for. Shego talked about it while she was in my world, and I haven't found any other worlds who've known what it was. If you knew what the Mantle was, I would know I was at least close to right world. The fact that your Shego went missing too was the clincher."

"You were trying to get here?" asked Malcolm. "Why?"

Ken wet his lips. "I'm looking for Shego."

"Why would your Shego be here?" asked Malcolm. "Did she also go traveling between worlds?"

"No, I'm not looking for the Shego from my world," said Ken. "I'm looking for your Shego. The Shego from _this_ world."

"Why?" asked Kim. "Because she had the Mantle?"

"No, the Mantle really has nothing to do with this," Ken said, waving her off. "Shego came to my world a little while ago. We... got to know each other pretty well and... we... have unfinished business."

"Did she steal something from you?" asked Ron.

Ken was silent for several long seconds. "In a way," he said softly. Then louder he said, "I asked her stay, before she left my world. She said... she said it was impossible because she couldn't control when she moved, but..." He trailed off.

Again, silence.

"How did she even get to your world?" asked Zita.

"Uh," started Ron. "I can answer that."

"Y-you can?" Felix asked, surprised.

Ron nodded. "The Mantle of Tenoch. When she put it on, it sent her mind out into the dreamscape and across the void." Then, something clicked in Ron's mind and he looked at Ken. "Oh! You're the one who crossed the void last night!"

"The what across the what?" asked Malcolm.

"The dreamscape surrounds our world," said Yori. "When asleep, a skilled practitioner of _sansaku no kyuumu _can leave their body and explore the world that exists between our dreams. Beyond the edge of the dreamscape is the void which separates our world from others." She looked proudly at Ron. "Stoppable-san is very skilled."

"Oh, really?" asked Kim, looking at Ron. "How 'skilled'?"

"You went to other worlds by _dreaming_?" Felix said with amusement. "That's completely awesome."

"I was trying to figure out why Shego had ended up in a coma," explained Ron. "Sometimes you can reach people through dreams that can't be reached in the waking world. But when I went into her dreams they were empty. She was gone. But she left a trail out through the void so I followed." Ron shrugged. "While I was following her I passed through your world, Ken."

"So, she was in a coma here?" asked Ken. "I only really know what Shego told me, and she didn't understand how she ended up lost in the multiverse."

"Wait," said Kim. "Does that mean you're a... _sansaku no kyuumu_... person as well?"

Ken reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a Kimmunicator, except it was black and had a touchscreen that took up the entire surface. "No, I used this. It's a Trans-Dimensional Facilitator. It opens portals between worlds once every twenty four hours. Wanda rigged it to follow the trail of void particles Shego left back to this world."

"Wanda?" asked Kim.

"Wanda Load, she's sort of my equipment supplier."

"Ah, Wade," nodded Ron.

"Sure." Ken shrugged.

"Wade..." Kim mused softly.

"So, where is she?" asked Ken. "I mean, where can I find Shego?"

"I don't know," said Kim in the same somber tone. "She ran off again to be a criminal, _despite _her condition."

"Her condition?" asked Ken. "You mean being in a coma?"

"She means her age," said Ron. "When you saw Shego, how old did she look?"

"Old?" Ken was puzzled. "I dunno, late twenties, not much older than me, I'd guess."

"Hmmm," nodded Ron. "That's how I found her too."

"Why? How old is she really?" asked Ken.

"The doctors say just shy of eighty," said Kim.

Ken froze with this eyes wide.

"Ah, it seems he's not the only one who gets to shock people into silence," said Zita with a smirk.

"Eighty?" said Ken, aghast. Then he repeated it as if trying to make it sink into an unwilling brain. "Eighty..."

"She didn't used to be that old," said Kim. "At some point the Mantle was removed from her and it aged her nearly fifty years overnight."

"That's... possible?" asked Ken.

"You're an inter-dimensional traveler," pointed out Felix. "And you're talking to a time traveler. You think rapid aging is impossible?"

"Huh," mused Ken. "What happened to the Mantle?"

"Don't know," said Kim. "Whoever took it was never found."

"The aging was caused by the Mantle then?" asked Ken.

"Also we don't know," said Kim. "But this is old territory. Doctors were examining Shego the entire time she was in her coma and the police have been looking for the Mantle without success."

Ken thought about that for several seconds.

"Is your life always this exciting?" asked Malcolm to Kim, a little pale from the rapid fire revelations. "I mean, I thought that VR thing I did was pretty terrible, but I'm starting to think that was a minor issue to you guys."

Ron and Kim looked at each other uneasily. Ron answered first. "I don't know about _always_ exciting. But recently..."

"There are a lot of people who need help out there," said Kim, looking down. "And if I can help..." She looked up. "I need to. It would be wrong to just ignore them. Even if-" She looked back to Ron.

"You shouldn't be expected to sacrifice yourself for every injustice," said Ron, shaking his head.

"What kind of person would I be if I didn't?" said Kim. "How can I listen to cries for help and do nothing?"

"There are people, KP, _trained_ and _equipped_ for that sort of thing," said Ron. "You have to trust them."

"_We're_ trained and equipped," said Kim. "Not _traditionally_, but-"

"It's not the same!" Ron said back, a little louder than intended. He looked suddenly up at the rest of the room. Everyone except for Ken was staring at him and of those only Yori didn't have a look of surprise. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I just don't want us to run into anything we shouldn't."

"I have to find her," said Ken, breaking the silence ensuing Ron's outburst. "Can you help me?"

"To find Shego?" asked Kim. "I've been trying. But it's been hard without Wade."

"Hey, what happened to Wade?" asked Ron, perking up. "You mentioned before that he was gone."

Kim sighed. "He's missing." She bit her lip. "Been missing since November."

"_November_?" shouted Ron. This time he intended to be loud. "Why didn't anyone-!" He stopped mid sentence and looked stricken. "What happened?" he asked in a more controlled manner.

"He was upset that I ... wasn't interested in the website anymore," said Kim. "He started building things to 'pick up the slack,' he said. Then he just suddenly got on a train to New York but wasn't on the train anymore when it arrived."

"He ran away?" said Ron.

"I don't know," said Kim, shaking her head. "I looked for him, but there was nothing. The train stops four times between here and New York City. He could have gotten off at any of those stations. But nobody had seen anything and there was no good camera footage that could have identified him. He was just... gone."

Kim shuddered in her chair as she cast her eyes downward. All the guilt she'd felt when Wade first vanished flooded back into her and it took all her effort just to hold herself together. Wade was more than a friend; he was almost family. For him to suddenly go missing, especially after they had fought over the website, was like having a piece of her soul torn out. Combined with Ron's abandonment only months before, she wasn't sure at the time if she had any hope left.

She felt a hand on her arm suddenly, and she looked up to see Ken kneeling beside her.

"I know it's hard," he said. "I can't imagine what I would have done if Wanda had gone missing. I'd probably have gone out of my mind. She's like my left hand: completely indispensable, but I wouldn't realize that unless she was gone."

Ron nodded to himself. "We have to look for him again, KP," he said. "Somebody has to know what happened to him. Let's try again."

"Ron..." Kim started.

"We'll help," said Zita. She elbowed Malcolm gently. The dark haired boy nodded in agreement.

"Me too," said Felix. "I owe you at least one for saving my Mom."

"We shall all help," said Yori. "As we are a team, correct?"

"That is what you were going to say before the doorbell rang, right, Kim?" asked Zita.

Kim looked stunned at her friends. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Maybe I can help too," said Ken as he squeezed Kim's arm gently. "I'm not inexperienced when it comes to the hero biz." He grinned. "I can look for Shego after we find Wade."

Kim stared, still in general disbelief. "You're really me?"

"Really, really." Ken nodded. "I'm sure this is a lot to take in, other worlds and whatnot, but what does that matter to a Possible? People are who they are, not where they come from, right? I'll show you I'm being honest, by helping you find your friend."

Kim considered the stranger before her. "Okay," she said, then turned to the rest of the room. "Let's look for Wade."

"Incidentally," Ken added after a moment. "You don't happen to have a guest room or something I can use, do you? I don't exactly have a place to go home to."

-(KP)-

While walking from the porch of the Possible home to the street, Zita glanced back to watch the door close behind them before speaking. Felix was staring at her expectantly while Yori kept her eyes ahead and Ron contemplated the night's events.

"So what do you guys really think about that?" Zita finally asked.

"I'm suspicious," said Felix. He opened his mouth to elaborate, but abruptly decided against it.

"He's telling the truth," said Ron, figuring he could at least vouch for what he saw. "At least, as far as _where_ he comes from. I don't know about the Shego part. It certainly seems odd. A version of Kim hanging out with Shego? Especially since Kim and Shego definitely don't get along here."

"So that dreamwalking stuff is legit?" asked Zita. "You can actually enter people's dreams?"

"Yeah," nodded Ron.

"And you can go to other _universes_ whenever you feel?" asked Zita. She had a small smile at her face and her eyes were eagerly looking at him.

"I suppose," said Ron. "But I don't really like it. It's hard to do and feels uncomfortable to cross the void."

"How did you even learn how to do that, dude?" asked Felix. Then he appeared pensive. "Could you _always_ do that?"

"No, I learned it while I was away," said Ron.

"Stoppable-san is an adept," offered Yori. "I have trained in _sansaku no kyuumu_ for many years but he easily surpassed me in a few months."

"Not bad, Ronster," said Felix with a smile.

The quartet reached Dr. Renton's mini-van. She had been waiting to pick up Felix and Zita.

"Thanks again for helping us!" Cindy Renton called from inside her car. She'd rolled down the window to speak to the group.

"Ah, uh, no problem, Mrs. Renton," said Ron, putting his hand to the back of his head. He bent down to look through the window. "How is it going with Brick?"

"Grr," growled Dr. Renton as she clutched the steering wheel tightly. "It's all bureaucratic nonsense at the police station. They wouldn't let him go without a court order and I couldn't get anyone to actually go _talk _to a judge until Monday." She shook her head ruefully. "Brick's going to be stuck in lockup until then."

"Ew," said Ron. "Is he going to be alright in there?"

"He said he was okay with it, but I don't like it," said Dr. Renton. "He saved our lives! He deserves better."

"Well, he did participate in a kidnapping," offered Felix. His mother shot him a deadly glare in response. "Er, right. Well, I guess we're gone, then." Felix waved to Ron and Yori.

"G'night," said Zita. Ron waved and Yori bowed in response.

Zita climbed into the front seat while Felix rolled onto the motorized lift on the back of the minivan. Dr. Renton could be seen waving from the front seat to Ron and Yori as the car pulled away.

Ron sighed. "That was a long day," he said as they walked back towards his house. "Longer for Kim, though, I guess."

He looked to Yori, who said nothing.

"I can't believe Wade is missing," Ron said to fill the silence. "If only he had chipped himself we might be able to track him." He smiled and looked to Yori for reaction again.

She continued to walk impassively.

"Um, Yori?" said Ron. "Is something wrong?"

"You were in the dreamscape last night," said Yori. "You said you saw Possible-san coming in from across the void."

"Er, yeah," Ron said slowly.

"You had said this morning that you were not," said Yori. "That we needed to rest for when Motor Ed made his move."

"Um..."

Yori stopped and turned to face Ron. "Why did you lie to me, Stoppable-san?"

"I... uh," hesitated Ron. He was a terrible liar and he knew it, but what was he supposed to say? That he randomly ran into another dreamwalker the other night? That she offered to teach him more advanced abilities than Yori could possibly know? That she's from another dimension like Ken? Ron could conceive of no path where the conversation didn't result in a confrontation between Yori and his dream magic tutor, Amanda Veers. "I just didn't want you to get upset. I only was in the dreamscape for a minute and it happened to be when I saw someone come through." Ron nearly winced. That would have been a pretty big coincidence.

Yori looked at him intensely. Then, without a word, she continued walking back toward Ron's house.

They didn't talk again that night.

-(KP)-

Kim watched as her father studied Ken from across the dinner table as if the dimensional traveler were a defective two-stage rocket assembly. "You're a _what_, now?" asked Dr. James Possible. He and his wife, Ann, were very interested in the sort of life a future version of Kim had been living, even if that life was as a man instead of a woman. Ken, to Kim's astonishment, was equally interested in how his parents would have been if they had swapped sexes.

"Officially, I'm a test engineer," explained Ken. "But that's just so Wanda can keep me on her books. I really just get to play with new tech she creates and tell her how well it works." He smiled. "It's not a job with a lot of responsibilities, so it leaves me lots of extra time to pursue my other interests."

"_Engineer_, huh?" Mr. Possible nodded, approvingly. "Still flying around the world saving people?"

"When I catch wind of something," said Ken. "It's good field testing for Wanda's tech. Though, now that she works for Kognitive Arts Inc., she spends less time maintaining the website." He put his hand to his chin. "How about you? Are you still working on Project Helios? Oh, probably, not yet, I suppose. I forget things are a few years behind here."

"Helios?" said Mr. Possible, surprised. "I work for Linus Vynn in your world?"

"The billionaire?" asked Mrs. Possible.

"Yeah," said Ken. "Well, on Vynn's Helios project in any case."

"I heard about that project," said Mr. Possible. "He's building a deep space vessel to travel beyond the edge of the solar system. He just recently announced he's looking for rocket engineers to help him get the pieces into orbit for assembly, too. I wonder..."

"I don't mean to influence you or anything," said Ken, quickly. "I'm sure things are different here. Mom... er, I mean, you always said you enjoyed working with the team he assembled, but Vynn's a real slave driver. She apparently had some very ambitious goals she forced everyone to work towards."

"I've heard that too, but it's still an incredible opportunity," said Mr. Possible. He rubbed his chin in thought. "I wonder."

"You're thinking about leaving the Science Center?" asked Kim, concerned about the trouble this doppelganger of hers was instigating after only thirty minutes.

"I wouldn't have to leave," said her father. "Just take a leave of absence. A year or two is not uncommon for the scientists that work there."

"What about Dr. Chen, aren't you two partners?" asked Kim.

"That's a good point," said Mr. Possible. He turned back to Ken. "Does Robert work with me on your world?"

"Dr. Chen?" asked Ken. "I don't know. Maybe?"

"I'll see if I can get him on the project too," nodded Mr. Possible.

"Dad! _You _haven't even gotten on this project!" said Kim. She was relieved that the discussion of Ken and his weird world had subsided. But since her father had suddenly gotten it into his head to dramatically change his life the damage had clearly already been done.

"It happened on Ken's world, though. It's fate," said Mr. Possible.

"Now, wait, I said there were differences," started Ken.

"I should call Robert and see what he thinks," mused Mr. Possible. He got up then and walked out of the kitchen.

Kim sighed and rested her head on the table.

"Er," said Ken. He seemed to be shifting in his chair uncomfortably. He looked to Mrs. Possible. "So, uh, where do you work?"

Mrs. Possible smiled kindly, then reached out and patted Ken's hand. "I think if you want to stay here, we shouldn't talk anymore about the differences between our world and yours."

"Um, okay," nodded Ken.

"You can sleep in the guest room," said Mrs. Possible, and then stood up to stop her husband from doing anything he would regret.

-(KP)-

Shego walked into the police department building casually, looking around briefly to get her bearings. She'd been in here more than a few times before, but always as a prisoner, never as a guest. Her memory of the place was filled with officers scrambling to stop Drakken and her from escaping their tin-foil jails. Not much of the desk layout and waiting area had really registered in those tense moments, so it was almost like coming to the building for the first time.

She straightened her jacket, a mostly black suit coat with a diagonal green splash of color across her chest. While she might have been a prisoner here several times in the past, she was fairly confident that her current 'condition' would make it hard for anyone to identify her. The Shego they all knew was about twenty-eight, not seventy-eight. Despite wearing her favorite colors so obviously, she felt comfortable in her anonymity.

She walked up to the desk and waited patiently for the sergeant to give her his attention. He was a portly fellow with gray hair and a uniform that was at least a size too small. She imagined he spent all of his time behind this desk these days and none of them out pounding the pavement.

"What can I do for you?" asked the man, in a bored tone. Dealing with Middleton police often seemed like you were interrupting their beauty sleep.

"I'd like to meet with Donny Callahan," said Shego, politely. "He was arrested earlier this week."

"Are you family or counsel?" asked the sergeant.

"Counsel," said Shego.

"ID, please."

Shego reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a driver's license and business card. Both were courtesy of contacts obtained through HenchCo, and neither was cheap. She had never really done undercover work before now, her preferred method of stealth being between the shadows, and she was surprised how much it had cost to get what she had considered to be some standard villainy equipment. If this was going to keep up, she reasoned, even her respectable fortune wouldn't keep her new operations afloat for long.

The desk sergeant filled out part of a form and then attached it to a clipboard lying on the desk. "Fill that out and bring it back, then we'll get your boy moved."

Shego nodded and took the form to a nearby chair to sit. The cushioning in the chair was essentially dead with no nope of resuscitation. It felt no different than if she had been sitting on a series of metal rods. She had become acutely aware of simple comforts over the last few weeks now that her body seemed more than eager to let her know when it wasn't in absolutely perfect position. She was far from crippled, and she had retained more than she expected of her strength and agility, but it was now a struggle to push herself physically where as before it took barely a thought.

She hated being old. She _absolutely_ hated that she hadn't finished being young yet.

After a few minutes, the chair's painfully uncomfortable seat got the better of her and she stood and filled out the rest of the clipboard while standing at the sergeant's desk. She felt a beat of sweat roll from her hairline onto her brow as she got more frustrated with the length of the stupid form.

_Keep it together, Shego_, she tried to calm herself.

"Here," she said after finally reaching the last line. She pushed the clipboard over towards the sergeant and stepped slightly away from the desk.

The overweight man barely looked up. "Have a seat. We'll let you know when he's in the visitor's room."

Shego felt the urge to light up her fists and break this man's desk into a billion pieces. But then, she couldn't light up her fists anymore since her powers had been stolen. And she'd probably break her wrists long before turning the furniture into two pieces, let alone a billion.

She sighed and tried one of the other chairs in the area, hoping to find one that hadn't been installed during the Nixon administration.

Ten agonizing minutes later, an officer came up to her and told her that they were ready for her.

Shego followed the younger uniformed man into the station, past rows of empty desks covered with folders and paper, circled by the remains of coffee cups and the wax paper sleeves for danishes. Given the time of night, most of the station was empty, leaving only a handful of officers and detectives on the night shift at their desks. Shego hadn't known how badly this place cleared out at night or she might have tried breaking out of jail closer to midnight more often. Back in the day anyway. When she could roll out of bed without breaking a hip.

Shego was led into a small room with barred windows and a simple table with two chairs. She nodded to the officer and sat at the table, folding her hands in front of her. She hadn't ever actually known any lawyers; despite her varied and vast criminal history, she'd not actually gone to court for anything more serious than a speeding ticket. She tried to imagine how a lawyer might comport herself when meeting with a defendant. Composed and confident was all she could think of, and so she tried to be as such.

A minute later, the officer returned with a tall, lean man bearing shaved head and strong jawbone. He escorted the man to the seat opposite Shego's and then returned to the door. "I'll be outside if you need me," said the officer. He then closed the door and turned away.

Shego studied the man in front of her. He looked almost exactly like the mug shot Celeste had shown her earlier: squinted eyes, squared shoulders, and silent stare. She wondered if his face was stuck that way.

"Hello, Axel," said Shego, settling slightly in her chair. She then hesitated, unsure of what to follow that up with. "How are things?"

Axel, in return, raised an eyebrow at her.

"Right," said Shego, when she continued to get no response. "You can call me Shego. I'm here because I heard you were henching for Motor Ed. Since I've had the pleasure of his company for the better part of a week before, I'm curious how you managed to put up with him without thinking about killing yourself."

Axel frowned. "He wanted to build cars," he said. His voice was soft, which surprised Shego, and a little raspy, as if he wasn't used to using it. "I like cars."

"He also apparently wanted to kidnap lady doctors and nearly kill them with unstable engines," said Shego. "But you were okay with that."

Axel shrugged.

Shego leaned back a bit and folded her arms. "So, I heard you're a smart guy."

Axel shrugged again.

Shego continued. "Someone who is smart with their hands as opposed to having their head in the clouds, which, I assure you, is far too common in the circles I travel in." Axel remained still. "What are your future plans?"

"Jail time," said Axel simply.

"_Waste_ _of_ time. If you really are as smart as I've been told, I'd like to have someone like you working for me." Shego shrugged now. "Provisionally at least."

"You want me to help fix you," said Axel slowly.

Shego sat up and swallowed. Her casual stare turned into an intense gaze. "You've heard of me?"

Axel shook his head.

"How do you know what happened to me?" asked Shego.

Axel's squinted eyes slightly softened and she could catch a glimpse of blue beyond the dark shadows under his brow. "You're unsettled with who you are," he said. "That means personal trauma."

Shego's eyes widened slightly. "That's a pretty large jump in logic," she said slowly. "Considering how uncomfortable these chairs are."

Axel shook his head. "You're a younger person trapped in an older body."

Shego grit her teeth. "If you've never heard of me, _how _do you know about _that_?" she spat.

"I can see the truth in things," said Axel calmly. "It's easiest with machines, but it works on people too." He looked at Shego closely again. "Someone stole your fire."

Shego was unsure what to make of this. She had come expecting to find a handyman, but this was starting to get eerie. How could this man know about her condition, unless it was in the papers while she was in her coma. She'd seen no sign of that before now but how else could this guy know? What he was describing was almost supernatural.

"Hog came to me," explained Axel. "He was deceiving himself, but Ed was genuine." He folded his hands in front of him. "You are different. You want what you can't have."

"How can you..." Shego started but stopped herself. This was definitely feeling very surreal, but he wasn't wrong. Not entirely, at least. "I want revenge," said Shego. "But there's nobody to have revenge on. I don't know what caused this or who has the Mantle or if it even was the Mantle that did it."

"Revenge is hollow," said Axel.

"I need my life back!" said Shego, balling her fists and getting angry. "But revenge is a good substitute." This was ridiculous, she thought. She came to find out if this skinhead would be suitable bodyguard material, but clearly he had too big a head on his shoulders. She'd have as much success controlling him as Drakken ever did controlling her.

Axel stared at her intently. "You're wrong."

"Gee, that's helpful," snapped Shego. She stood abruptly, feeling her heart racing in anger. "I don't need to take insults from some backstreet fortuneteller. Forget it! This isn't going to work out."

"Wait," said Axel, suddenly animated. "Something is different."

"Yeah, it is," said Shego. Pains shot up her back as she turned on her heel, probably from the uncomfortable chair combined with her decrepit body. "I've decided this was a waste of my time."

"You're changing!" Axel shouted.

Shego stopped and looked down at herself. She didn't see anything different and was about to say so when it hit her. The pain in her back sharply increased and she buckled at her knees. Her chest hit the ground hard but she barely noticed as a feeling of bones twisting and muscle tearing overtook her body. She opened her mouth to scream but her throat closed up at that moment and she managed nothing more than a muffled gurgle. She thrashed about in agony as her whole world shrunk to just beyond her skin.

Axel got up and moved beside Shego's twisting body. He knelt down and tried to hold her down but the intensity of the seizures affecting her body kept him from getting a grip. A second later the door opened and the officer who led him in appeared. He looked at Shego and at Axel and he immediately ran to grab Axel, pulling him away from Shego.

"Someone get in here!" yelled the officer as he pulled Axel back.

Another two officers ran into the room then and tried to hold Shego's body down and keep her from injuring herself against the table or walls. Their combined efforts were enough to hold down her shoulders and legs but she was still convulsing.

The portly desk sergeant ran in and stared in shock at the scene.

"Call an ambulance!" yelled the officer holding Shego's shoulders.

The sergeant nodded and ran out again. The remaining officers held tight as they stared at Shego's violent thrashing.

Her skin started to shift and flow over her muscles, which pulsed and undulated like an ocean. The two officers holding her looked slightly away in apparent disgust, and ignored the sickly soft feeling under their palms. The storm of activity seemed to last forever but then, suddenly, no more than two minutes after it had begun, Shego instantly relaxed and stopped moving.

Everyone stared at what just happened. Shego had gone still except for her gentle breathing causing her chest to move up and down. Her long gray hair had gotten frazzled and tangled and now covered her face and neck entirely.

Slowly, the two officers holding Shego released their grip and stood back. They watched for any sign that she was about to having another seizure but there was nothing but silence and breathing.

"Simmons," said the officer who had been holding Shego's shoulders. "Take him back to lockup." He motioned towards Axel whose gaze was still fixed on Shego though now his jaw hung open and forgotten. "Krantz, lets carry her to the break room until the Ambulance arrives."

"She could have broken something," said Krantz, still standing by Shego's legs. "We should wait for paramedics."

"I'm not going to leave this old woman lying on the-"

"AAAAAAHHHH!" Shego suddenly cried out as she took a gaping breath and sat up. She breathed heavily and sat on her knees, bent at the waist, staring straight ahead through her tangled hair.

"Ma'am," said Simmons after a second passed. "You should lay still, you just had a seizure."

Shego continued to stare in shock and breathed loudly.

"Paramedics will be here in a moment," continued Simmons.

Shego sat slightly further back so she no longer had to hold herself up on her arms. She raised her hands before her eyes and looked at them. The smooth, porcelain skin with just a tinge of green to them was unblemished and tight against her muscles. She turned her hands over and ran them gently across each other.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" asked Simmons.

"Heh," Shego made a quiet sound and hung her head. Her hair fell further in front of her and now curtained her entire face with gray. She made a fist with each hand in turn then relaxed.

"Shego," said Axel. The officer holding him hadn't moved an inch yet. He was as surprised as the rest of them had been over the woman's sudden recovery. "You can't -"

"Shego?" said Simmons with a frown. He looked down at the woman. "_The _Shego?"

"That's right," Shego said from within her gray curtain. She said the words slowly, and with relish, as if they were the most enjoyable words in the world. She slowly put her hands down beside her again, palms against the tiled floor.

"That's impossible, you're-" started Simmons.

"Too old?" Shego said. She laughed slightly. She tilted her head down and to the side slightly. "Are you..." she paused. Then she flung her head back, causing her hair to wildly float up and over her head exposing her smooth, perfectly youthful face displaying a toothy grin. "...sure?"

Then she sprung. Her hands flung her up and onto her feet and in a fluid motion she turned on one foot and kicked out her other leg to hit Krantz in the chest. The officer flung back against the wall, shattering the nearby safety glass, and crumbled from the impact.

Before Simmons could react, she swung the same leg forward and shifted her weight to step closer to Simmons. Then she put her force behind her right arm and punched the officer in the chest causing him to fly back into the wall on the opposite side. He shuddered as his back flattened against the wall and then he slid to the side and landed in a pile on the ground.

Her wild eyes and manic smile turned then to the officer holding Axel. The younger officer shook uncontrollably and Axel could feel it in the man's arms. Axel opened his mouth to tell Shego not to hurt him.

But before he could get out a word Shego had spun around Axel and the officer and grabbed the man from behind, picking him up over her head, and throwing him into the table causing it to snap in half and splinter onto the floor. The officer made a loud sound as the air left his lungs all in one burst and then lay still on the ground.

Shego cracked her neck with relish and then did the same with her knuckles. Axel could only stare. She looked young again, in every way she seemed to be twenty eight again, or perhaps younger. Except for her still gray hair, her skin was smooth and taught, her body perfectly balanced and toned, and there was a pervasive energy in her movement that screamed of youth.

"Hahahaha!" laughed Shego loudly as she looked around at the three unconscious lying around the staring Axel. "Oh, my god, that felt incredible!"

"You're still wrong," said Axel.

"No, no, no," Shego wagged a finger at Axel with a smirk. "This is all _very right_. She did it! That pudgy, nerd of a geneticist actually did it!" Shego stretched her arms into the air and her whole body arched. She smiled with her lips slightly parted as if she was feeling nothing but waves of pleasure. "I'm back again! _Better_ than back! I feel like I could lift a truck! Outrun a horse!" She licked her lips and the looked at Axel salaciously. "Or _more_."

Axel looked wearily at her.

"Come on!" Shego waved as she stepped over the officer's bodies. "I think there are some more police out here we can beat up. Consider this your get out of jail free card!"

Shego kicked the door from its hinges then quickly ran out of the room and into the rest of the precinct. Axel stared at the carnage around him for a moment and then ran after her. By the time he reached the open area with the detective's desks, Shego was already jumping from table to desk attacking the last two officers that were in the station. She grabbed one and threw him across the room, then took the other and shoved him through a wall into a closet. She looked around hungrily but when she saw no other officers she sighed and then started for the front door. Axel ran to catch up.

"You are very angry," said Axel as he reached her.

Shego grabbed Axel by his shirt, lifted him up and shoved him against a wall roughly. "LISTEN!" Shego seethed through her teeth. "I just spent two years drifting through the universe inhabiting all manner of strange bodies and when I finally - _FINALLY_ - made it back home, _even then_ my body wasn't my own. REPLACED by whatever that beat up shell of a person was. But now... hahahahh ... NOW! I finally feel alive again. I _feel like myself!_" She slammed Axel against the wall again. "So I won't have some nobody telling me what I'm supposed to _BE!_"

Axel struggled to breathe after that second shove knocked the wind out of him, but he said nothing.

"That's better," said Shego. She dropped him. "If you're going to tag along with me, _that's_ what I want to hear out of you. _Silence_." She turned back towards the door and left the station.

Axel managed to get back into his lung and struggled to get back to his feet. He stumbled as he ran, but he had to move quickly to catch up with Shego.

-(KP)-

In the darkness, a single spotlight lit a tiny area of a black, featureless floor. There was nothing beyond the circular point of light, and practically nothing within it, except for a tiny patch of plain black floor, and a boy, standing within the circle, staring out into the darkness.

The boy, Wade Load, watched patiently. Hanging directly in front of him, suspended by nothing at all, and framed by no technology that he could perceive, was a tiny screen that showed him what his creation was seeing right now. The screen was very dark since it was nightime, and it showed a number of police cars and ambulances crowded outside a Gothic-looking building.

"That's the police station," said Wade to the darkness.

"Evil was done here," a voice replied, seemingly coming from all the darkness at once. It was the voice of the driverless vehicle, the automaton that had overtaken its creator. The voice of Black Shadow.

"Not evil," said Wade. "At least, we don't know that. A crime. Laws were broken. There's a difference."

"No difference," replied Shadow. "Breaking the law is evil."

"No!" yelled Wade. "Sometimes the law isn't right. Sometimes breaking the law is accidental."

"Evil," repeated Shadow. "Evil must be purged."

Wade put his hand to his forehead and sighed. Still, there had been no progress. How long had he been prisoner now? It felt like years, but he knew it was only months. Nothing he said seemed to matter beyond facts. Cold hard facts. Shadow had no interest in Wade's interpretation of those facts.

The view started to move and Wade figured Shadow was moving. The view dropped down the side of the building and crept in the shadows up to where several officers and plainclothes detectives were standing. Quietly, Wade could hear voices coming from the screen.

"-identified herself. According to Krantz she attacked them right afterward."

"That must have been some makeup job, she looked over eighty."

"We already have the APB out on them. Callahan shouldn't be a problem but you know how hard it is to track down Shego."

"If they're traveling together, expect it to be just as hard."

"Not to mention she apparently has excellent disguise skills now."

The sounds from the screen quieted. "Callahan and Shego," said Shadow from the darkness.

"I don't know a Callahan," said Wade. "You already have information on Shego."

"This contradicts information on Shego," said Shadow. "Shego is in a coma and has degraded."

"Gotten _old_, not degraded," said Wade. "And apparently she woke up. I _have _been trapped in here for a long time."

"I need to update my information," said Shadow. "You will assist."

"Great," Wade said sarcastically. "Let's find a computer."

The screen moved again as Shadow crept away from the station and then leapt onto a nearby building. The screen panned around, looking for a place to find a computer with suitable ability. The pan abruptly stopped when a roaring sound started nearby. Shadow's view looked around and then focused on a green and black jet suddenly rising up from between two buildings several blocks away and then soaring off to the west.

Wade frowned. "Shego's jet," he said.

"Confirmation of Shego's involvement in the evil act," said Shadow.

Wade sighed again.

"We must apprehend," Shadow stated.

"Good luck with that," said Wade.

"You will assist."

"Don't count on it."

-(KP)-

Ron yawned again as he walked down the hallway from his room. He was still finding it hard to break the habits that Yamanouchi had instilled in him, but had managed to fall back asleep after waking up at five that Sunday morning. Now it was nearly nine and he felt weird, like had slept too much and had gotten tired again. That seemed completely nonsensical to him. How could someone get tired from sleeping?

He made it down the hall to the guest room that Yori was using. He expected to knock on the door and talk to her about yesterday but was surprised to find it open. The bed was made and Yori was nowhere in sight. He looked briefly around, checking the bathroom and his own room in case she had hidden somewhere in there, but had no luck. He headed for the kitchen.

"Good morning, Ronald," said Mr. Stoppable.

"Morning sweetheart," said Mrs. Stoppable.

"Good morning, parent-types," said Ron. He looked around briefly but, again, saw no Yori. "Do you guys know where Yori is?"

"She left this morning to go the library again," said Mr. Stoppable. "She said she had to research something, probably for her schooling."

"Her schooling?" asked Ron. Then he remembered their cover story. "Oh, right, yeah, for college. Heh, sorry, I guess I haven't woken up yet." He paused. If she was using the cover story though, he reasoned, what was she _really_ doing at the library?

-(KP)-

Kim came downstairs from her room following her nose and the incredible smells wafting up from the kitchen. It wasn't too early for her to be getting up, but she was considering going for a run before the aromas derailed her plans and drew her towards the source. Breathing deeply, she entered the kitchen and looked around to determine what it was that smelled so good. What she saw further derailed her thought processes that morning.

"Good morning!" said Ken as he stood by the range and flipped pancakes.

"Uh," said Kim.

"Good morning, sweetheart," said Mrs. Dr. Possible as she navigated around Ken to get to the oven and pull out a baking sheet full of danishes.

"What is... going on here?" asked Kim. She rubbed her eyes in case they were deceiving her. The images persisted even after.

"Breakfast," said Ken. He smiled as he poured another flapjack.

"You have to try these pastries, Kim," said Mrs. Dr. Possible as she put a danish on a plate and brought it to Kim. "They're absolutely superb. Ken made them and he has to give me the recipe. Where did you say you learned this?"

"Ah, well, it was in another reality, obviously," said Ken. "I actually learned it from Ron... or his sous chef in any case. But she told me it was Ron's recipe. See, I was on this world where Middleton had become the hottest center for restaurants in America and anyone who was anybody in the area was either a chef or critic. Ron had got himself discovered as a bit of a prodigy back in freshman year and by the time I arrived he already had three restaurants with his name on them. I spent some time trying to see Ron but that proved impossible. I did manage to get friendly with his sous chef in the interim though and she taught me a few things around the kitchen." He nodded to himself. "She was a pretty cool girl, that Monique. It's a shame I was in such a rush."

Kim boggled. Monique was a chef in another world? Ron was a famous restaurateur? It defied belief.

She took a bite of the danish she'd been handed. It was delicious. "Wow, this is really good." She looked at the pastry closely, wondering what was different about it from every other danish she'd ever had. "Are those raisins?"

"Dates, actually," said Ken. "Chopped, of course."

Kim took another bite. "I'm not sure I've ever had a date before," she said, nodding appreciatively.

"Dates are great," Ken said. Then he grinned. "But sometimes I just want to skip right to the end."

Kim gave him a dirty look.

"Cheerful, aren't you?"

"Don't give your cousin a hard time, Kim," said Mrs. Dr. Possible from the table.

"Cousin?" asked Kim, coming over to the dining room.

"Ken and I were talking it over this morning," explained her mom. "It's probably going to raise fewer questions if we tell people he's your cousin while he's here. Alternate reality twin is slightly harder to explain."

Kim sighed. "I suppose," she grumbled. Already this 'cousin' was more trouble than Joss and Larry combined. "Fine, I'll tell everyone he's my wayward cousin come to crash our home."

Ken walked over with a batch of pancakes. "Great! I'm glad to be part of the family." He put the plate down on the table. "These are pumpkin flavored. You had a can in the back of the cabinet, I hope you don't mind."

Kim stared at the orange silver dollar pancakes. She was going to have to get used to this pastry making, gender bent, older guard version of herself quick or go mad. Neither option was particularly preferable.

"Oh, feel free to raid the pantry any time you like," Mrs. Dr. Possible said, pouring some syrup on a couple of pancakes. "If they're anywhere near as good as the Danishes you'll be doing the ingredients an honor I can't contend with."

"I'm sure that's not true," said Ken, sitting down opposite her and helping himself to his own creation. "My father at least had a mean chicken cacciatore he would unleash on us after a good day at the hospital."

"Well," smiled Mrs. Dr. Possible. "Maybe I'm not a terrible cook." She took a bite. "But these are delicious."

"All compliments to Ron, then," said Ken.

"Okay, this is creepy," said Kim looking sick. She grabbed Ken by the arm and dragged him out into the living room in front of the TV. She let go only to point at him sharply. "Stop being so modest."

"Er, okay?" Ken said, experimentally. "I'm a guest. I figure I should at least be nice." He pointed back towards the kitchen. "Your parents are nice."

"Nice is one thing. Laying it on thick is another." She angled her hand and made a cutting motion. "Knock it off."

Ken stared at her with a slightly frown. His eyes shifted between Kim's and at what she guessed was the wall behind her. "Is everything alright with you?" he asked.

"What?"

"You just seem more cheerful back there than right here." He pointed behind Kim.

She followed his finger to see the pictures hanging on the wall behind the couch. They were an assortment of photos taken over the last three or four years, essentially covering her time in high school, showing her along with the tweebs and her parents. Kim looked angrily back at Ken.

"Those are just pictures," said Kim. "Everyone always smiles in pictures."

"No, they smile when they think they should," said Ken. "The question is: why don't you think you should be smiling right now? This is Sunday morning breakfast with your family, plus a strange, easy going version of you from another dimension. What's there to be so glum about?"

"I'm 'glum' because you're already proving to be a pain, and because my life has gotten monumentally more difficult in the last six months. Not to mention I can't forget you're here chasing Shego – who is not on my nice list right now – and you've dragged up all this stuff with Wade that I was just starting to cope with!" Kim stomped her foot for emphasis as she maintained her stare at Ken.

He nodded in return, with a look of complete understanding that further enraged Kim. "Consider this, my dear cousin," he said calmly. "What you can do with one, you can do with two twice as well." He smiled.

Kim grimaced again. Her brain was starting to hurt. "Is that another attempt at innuendo?"

"No," Ken shook his head. Then he paused, tilted his head slightly to the side. "Well, yes, it could be, but that was unintentional." He looked at her straight. "The point is you've got problems, and I'm here to help."

"You're here looking for Shego," said Kim.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to the plights of my kin," Ken spread his arms apart. "I've tried to help everyone I came across in my journey across the void. Within reason, I suppose. I couldn't stay forever. But that's not the case here! Shego is here, so I'm staying until I get a chance to talk to her and find out... where we stand."

"And get back what she took," said Kim. "What was it anyway? A device? Something expensive?"

Ken bit his lip slightly. "Something important to me, but not really valuable to anyone else."

"Oh, now you choose to be cryptic." Kim folded her arms.

"It's not terribly important," said Ken quickly. "I just need to talk to her. But I'm not impatient, certainly not after how many months and worlds. I need your help, so I'll help you first in exchange. We'll get your life on track and maybe, if we're lucky, we'll run into Shego along the way."

"Odds are we will," said Kim. She eyed him skeptically still, but with a less harsh stare. "All right, I admit to taking out my frustrations on you. I'm sorry."

Ken smiled widely. "That's okay, I know how odd it must be to see me. The life that never was."

"Never could be," said Kim. "Short of mind-swapping I don't think I ever could have turned out to be boy." She made a small smile.

Ken shook his head. "You have no idea." He moved past Kim and back into the kitchen.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

-(KP)-

The knocking was louder than anything Amy had ever heard. Technically it wasn't knocking at all. More like banging, or punching. Something stronger than an ox was pounding on the reinforced steel door that separated Amy's underground bunker from the massive drainage pipes that led to the Middleton reservoir, and the metal walls and vaulted ceilings in her lab were acting as an echo chamber. She clamped her hands to her ears immediately but still felt the sound buffet her with each knock.

Amy jumped down from the stool she was sitting on and ran out of the dimly lit lab and into the short piping that led to the door. Several more knocks echoed through her head before she reached the round vault-like door and slid open the peep hope to look outside.

"Open up, short stuff," cackled a voice from the other side as a green eye veiled in gray hair stared back through the hole back at Amy.

"Shego?" said Amy. She blinked in surprise and adjusted her large glasses. She hadn't been expecting the villainess this soon, but since Shego paid by the hour, Amy didn't want to stop to question it.

With a yank, Amy lifted the latch that held the door shut and swung it open. Wincing at the screech of metal rubbing against rusted metal. Standing on the other side of the hatch, dressed in the tatters of a black suit was Shego, grinning madly and breathing heavily with her arms at her hips and legs apart. Beside her was a man Amy had never seen before, lean but muscular, wearing what looked like work clothes covered in dirt and torn in several places. He had a shaved head and stoic expression on his face as he stood with his arms crossed.

"What happened to you?" asked Amy as Shego started striding forward. It was then that Amy noticed Shego's features. "Oh, dear. Did it-?"

She was cut off by Shego suddenly grabbing her face and kissing her on the lips. It lasted only a single uncomfortable second, and afterwards Shego spat like she'd just tasted crude oil. "God, you're a hideous cherub, but you did it!" she declared, then released Amy and walked past her into the lab.

Amy turned to watch her go. "It worked?" she said finally. "You're young again!"

"Mostly," Shego said over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

Amy stared as she started walking slowly after her. The other man walked up beside her and kept pace.

"She is not well," the man said simply.

"I don't want to hear you!" called Shego from out of sight. "Zip-zip. Silence! Remember?"

The man nodded quietly.

Amy looked at the man closely for a second before realizing. "You're that guy she went to break out of jail." She thought hard. "Donny."

"He goes by Axel," Shego called again. "But right now I'm calling him Quiet McShutup."

Amy and Axel walked into the lab and Amy saw Shego sitting at one of her workbenches and looking through a microscope. Amy rushed over.

"Please, don't touch that," said Amy, urgently.

"Oh, relax, I don't care about your experiments," said Shego. She turned away from the microscope and leaned forward on the stool she was sitting on. She pointed a thumb at her chest. "This is the only experiment you're going to focus on right now."

"It worked, then?" Amy said again.

"Doy," said Shego, rolling her eyes. "Can't you tell?" She flipped her hair back with a cock of her head like a supermodel and then struck a pose with her hands framing her face. "I would have thought a scientist of your caliber could tell the difference between someone who is twenty and someone who is eighty."

"Unbelievable," said Amy. She looked at Shego's face closely then examined her hands. "Complete reversal. Younger than you started, even. When did it happen?"

"About an hour after I left you yesterday," said Shego. "A little longer than you said, but all that matters are the results." She leaned back slightly. "Which are nearly magnificent."

"That shouldn't be right," said Amy. "Even with your unique metabolism the compound should have broken down long before then. Why the delayed reaction?"

Shego shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care! Just keep up with the magic syringes and we're in like Flynn."

"Keep up?" asked Amy. "It worked! What else do you need?"

"Oh, you cocky little rodent, you," said Shego. She reached out a cupped Amy's face in her hands. The scientist flinched slightly, hoping she wasn't about to get kissed again. "Don't you think I'm not on to your little game? Were I in a less charitable mood I might see your little recurring revenue project as a bit of a betrayal. But with results like these, I don't mind financing an island of your very own if you keep producing."

Amy tried to shake her head but Shego's grip was vice-like. "I don't understand what you mean."

Shego let go of Amy's face then reached to her sleeve and yanked on it, ripping away part of the fabric just slightly past her elbow. She held the bare arm out in front of Amy and displayed it like a model.

"See?" said Shego, smugly.

Amy frowned and adjusted her glasses again. Small, faint purple lines were running up Shego's arm and into what was left of her sleeve. "Varicose veins," she said. "So the regression wasn't complete."

"The 'regression' was completely complete," said Shego. "These started to appear this morning along with my nasty hangover."

"It's reverting?" asked Amy, looking up at Shego with an alarmed expression. "That wasn't supposed to happen."

"It wasn't?" asked Shego, suspiciously. She frowned and stared evenly into Amy's eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked in a menacing manner.

"Y-yes," said Amy. "The formula I was working on was supposed to produce sustained effects... a permanent change, so to speak. The fact that this is already starting to fade... I'm not sure what to make of this."

"Hmm," mused Shego, leaning back again. "That's disappointing." She jumped down from the stool. "Well, just give me a double dose this time. I'd prefer to get through the day without needing a late afternoon fix."

"It's not that kind of drug," Amy said as she shook her head. "There could be dangerous side—"

"Yeah yeah," Shego waved her off. "Like you didn't warn me about that from the very beginning. I know the risks. But let me tell you something little miss all-you-can-eat superstar: being old is for the birds. I'm not giving up my youth again for anything. So if you have to hook me up with an IV-drip stored under my clothes to make it happen, well, then just tell me how high I have to hike up my shirt."

Amy swallowed and glanced back at Axel, who was quietly shaking his head.

"Don't look at him, he's just the help," said Shego. "Look, this isn't supposed to be a moment of introspection for you. I'll make it easier." She reached over and picked up the microscope she was looking through before. She gripped in between her palms and slowly crushed it into a pancake. "Give me a double dose, and then sit your fat butt on this stool and start working on a way of making your 'permanent' change more permanent. Got it?"

Amy nodded. "Very well."

"Great!" Shego smiled earnestly. She picked up the piece of her sleeve she tore off before then wrapped it tightly around her arm, causing a vein to slightly enlarge.

Amy walked slowly over to a metal cabinet and pulled out a tray of small bottles. With practiced fluidity she pulled out a syringe and filled it with the solution, flicking the tip twice to remove any bubbles.

"I have no idea what this will do," Amy warned.

"Blah, blah," Shego mocked her. She leaned down slightly to offer her arm to the shorter woman.

Amy pressed the tip of the needle into Shego arm and slid it silently into the vein. A quick press of the plunger and the solution was gone. Amy shook her head as she pulled the needle back out and checked it briefly before throwing it away. "There may be burning."

"I remember," said Shego. She pulled off the scrap of cloth and headed towards the exit again. "Ooh, yeah, baby, feel that fire!" she yelled suddenly as she walked.

Amy looked to Axel, who's stoic expression had been replaced by one of worry.

"What happened to you two?" she asked.

"We fought," said Axel.

"My goodness," said Amy. "Is she alright? Did she hit her head?" A concussion might explain her rather strange attitude.

Axel shook his head. "She won every fight. Mercilessly." He stepped away from Amy and followed Shego towards the door. The sound of scraping metal was heard soon afterwards and Amy found herself alone again.

She swallowed. She wasn't sure what was going on, but her mutagen should not have caused what happened to Shego. Something else was at play with her subject's strange metabolism that was keeping her from fully identifying the cause. She needed more data to figure it out, but there too many variables. She needed a control to use to figure out what her mutagen was doing and then adapt it properly to Shego. _And_ she needed to do this before Shego got too frustrated and decided to take it out on her.

She looked at the remains of her microscope on the floor. She needed to find a new test subject quickly.

-(KP)-

A different knocking sound came from the Stoppable's front door and it was quickly answered by Mr. Stoppable.

"Hello?" he asked.

The young man standing outside with red hair and an olive jacket smiled and waved. "Hiya, Mr. Stoppable. I'm here to see Ron."

Mr. Stoppable turned and yelled into the house. "Ronald!" He looked back outside. "He'll just be a minute. Come on in." He stepped back to welcome the visitor in.

The young man walked through the doorway just as Ron was running into the foyer. He looked anxious at first then, when he saw the redhead, he looked surprised. "Ken?" he asked.

"Hey Ron, got time to talk?" asked Ken Possible.

"Uh, sure, I guess," said Ron. He ran his hand through his hair. "I guess we'll talk in my room." Ron turned and headed back to his bedroom and Ken followed.

"So... what brings you here?" asked Ron, awkwardly.

Ken held his tongue until they were into Ron's room and had sat down by the latter's desk. Ron sat on the bed and viewed Ken with suspicion.

"I'm trying to help Kim get her affairs in order," said Ken. "Believe it or not, I've had some experience in this area. We lot are a somewhat fragile bunch, it turns out."

"We lot?" asked Ron.

"Hero types," said Ken. "You must have seen some of it while you were out visiting other worlds."

"I suppose," said Ron. "I was really just looking for Shego."

"Well, I've seen some of the nonsense that you and Kim tend to put yourselves through in other realities, and sometimes I find it hard to believe we're really the same people."

"But, we're not, you know," said Ron. "I mean, different decisions make entire lives different. Master Sensei said, 'the drop of a single pebble creates ripples that cross the entire pond.'"

"Very true... in theory," said Ken. "But in practice, from what I've seen, the more things change, the more they stay the same." He shrugged. "In any case, I'm here to say I've probably seen it all and I'd like to help, if you and Kim need someone to talk to that isn't as involved in your life but has a very similar perspective."

Ron had to think for a second to keep that straight in his head. "Um. Thanks?"

"No problem," said Ken with a smile. "So what's going on between you and Kim? Did you have a fight?"

"What? No!" said Ron reflexively.

"You sure? You two seemed a little frigid last night. I've seen entire worlds caught up in the romance between you and her, by this point you've probably at least dated."

"No! You—" Ron stopped and rubbed his forehead. "I mean, yes, we were dating. But we're not anymore." He sighed. "And, yes, I've seen those worlds too. And I... thought like you did, but Master Sensei was very clear about this. Those other worlds are _other worlds_ no matter how much like our world they are, they have to be other worlds to us or our world becomes impossible to think about without getting confused with those other worlds."

Ken stared at Ron with a slightly slack jaw.

"He... explained it more simply," Ron said quietly.

"So what happened between you two?" asked Ken. "Since you're not dating anymore."

"It's complicated," said Ron. "I don't really... want to talk about it."

"Not at all?" asked Ken.

"No."

"Not even to a sympathetic soul who happens to think along the same lines as Kim?"

"No."

"Shucks."

"Yeah."

The two sat quietly for a few minutes.

"So, was there something else that you...?" started Ron.

"What about that Yori girl?" Ken suddenly blurted.

"What... what about her?" asked Ron, surprised.

"What's her story?"

"She's Yori," said Ron. "She trained with me in Japan under Master Sensei."

"This is the Master Sensei who runs the Yamanouchi school, right?" asked Ken.

"Yeah," said Ron. "You've been there?"

"Briefly," said Ken. "There was this crazy prophecy involving twin dragons and I was holed up there for a month or so trying to determine out how it all figured into this woman named Fukushima."

"Oh, I know him," said Ron. "From when I was at Yamanouchi a year or so ago."

"He as big an ass as she was?" asked Ken.

"He betrayed the school to Monkey Fist," offered Ron.

"Ah, yeah, same story then," said Ken, nodding. "So, what's she doing here?"

Ron looked down. "Yamanouchi was attacked. Master Sensei has gone missing, and the students have fled and gone into hiding. Yori followed me back here to Middleton."

"Woah," said Ken. "Who attacked them?"

"The Shade," said Ron. "A bunch of exiled ninjas who used to be Yamanouchi students."

"What are you going to do about them?" asked Ken.

"The teachers are supposed to be working on a plan," said Ron. "They're going to strike back I guess, and let us know when it's going to happen."

"What else?"

"What else... what?" asked Ron.

"What else are you doing to help Yamanouchi?"

"Um... keeping Yori safe?"

"How does she feel about that?" asked Ken, with a raised brow. "She's a ninja too, right?"

"Yeah, she's... she's definitely annoyed about it, but we don't even know what's going on over there. I'm not sure how we can help. The teachers aren't really involving us in their planning."

"Well, where is Yori right now?" asked Ken.

"She's... I'm not sure," admitted Ron. "The library is what she said."

"You don't think she might be... I dunno, thinking of a way to get _more_ involved, do you?"

Ron stopped and thought for a minute. "Like how?"

"Well, you said Master Sensei has gone missing," said Ken.

"Master Sensei was like a father to her," said Ron, his eyes widening. "You don't suppose she's thinking of going off to find him, do you?"

"I don't even know the girl," said Ken with a shrug. "I'm just saying that you're keeping the wrong company if you just want to sit on your heels and wait for things to happen to you."

"I'm not sitting on my heels! We just stopped Motor Ed and his crew yesterday!"

"Great!" said Ken. "So what's next?"

"Does there have to be a next?" Ron asked angrily.

Ken leaned back in his chair. "Either you decide what's next, or someone else will decide it for you. It seems like there's a lot of things going on here. Wade, Shego, Yamanouchi, this Mantle of Tenoch business Shego told me about, it's all centered here."

"Yamanouchi is in Japan," pointed out Ron.

"Whatever. The point is, either you bounce around your whole life being driven by other people's desires, or you take the initiative and get things resolved."

"The last time I tried to fix things Kim ended up-!" Ron stopped himself before he could say any more. He squeezed his eyes shut and suddenly had a pained look at his face.

Ron breathed once. "I'm just doing what Kim wants to. That's all." He opened his eyes again. "Please, stop trying to fix things. You don't understand what's happened."

"I won't unless you explain it to me," said Ken softly.

Ron shook his head. He looked as if he was trying very hard to restrain himself. "It's not your business. You may look like Kim, but aren't her. We're not all the same across worlds."

Ken stared at Ron, who stared back. "I disagree," said Ken. "But I'm just trying to help, not cause more conflict." He sighed. "I'm sorry if I was being rude."

"It's okay," said Ron patiently. "Just, let us figure some things out on our own, okay?"

Ken looked down but nodded slightly.

-(KP)-

Wade paced around the circle of light, occasionally looking up at the hovering screen to make sure nothing had changed, then going back to his pacing. The screen was showing nothing right now but blackness. The Shadow was asleep, which was the only time Wade got a few moments to himself.

He wished he could laugh at the situation he found himself in, trapped by his own creation, hoist upon his own petard and all that. But none of it seemed funny anymore. Funny was four months ago when he realized he'd been isolated by Shadow. Funny was when he still had hope that he could reason with the construct. Funny was the thought that eventually Shadow would make a mistake and let Wade go.

Funny was when all that seemed reasonable instead of hopeless.

With a sigh, Wade sat down and crossed his legs. He'd never studied Zen but found himself with a lot of free time to try and figure out the meditative techniques on his own. Sitting still in the center of the light, emptying his mind and contemplating his existence seemed somewhat ironic considering his situation, but they helped him gain control when he felt he was going to lose his mind in the second month of captivity.

At least he didn't have to worry about dying of starvation. Shadow at least understood him well enough to make sure all his nutritional needs were met. There was the matter of entertainment as well, which came in the near constant stream of questions about existence and humanity. Wade had been flippant about those early questions, annoyed in the early days of his isolation. That had been a mistake, because Shadow had imprinted on those earlier answers and now trying to undo his misinterpreted sarcasm was taking way more effort.

Concentrating on his breathing, Wade focused on the recent changes, the new birth of hope he saw just a few weeks ago.

Kim had returned to action. A wry part of Wade's brain added 'at last' to that sentence, but that was a petty thought. He was trying to force Kim into an action she wasn't prepared to take and he was resolutely punished for his arrogance. Kim was a person in all the ways that Shadow was not. Her time to heal was what made her better than an automaton. If only he could have recognized that four months ago.

In any case, Kim had returned, and that meant there was hope that eventually she'd figure out what was going on with Shadow and then find him. Hopefully she'd free him as well, though he'd settle just for stopping Shadow at this point. Little victories were important.

But now Shadow was asking questions about Kim and Shego and Wade couldn't help but worry about their little partnership six months ago during the Mantle of Tenoch debacle. Shadow understood that Shego was evil, almost without reservation, much to Wade's annoyance. But if he did the research and found out about Shego and Kim working together to find out who stole the Mantle of Tenoch, Shadow might easily make a jump to guilt by association.

Shadow may have been a simpleton four months ago, but now he was a force to be reckoned with. If he set his sights on a not fully healed Kim, would she survive?

Wade swallowed hard and was broken from his mediation by the thought that shook him to his core. Watching Shadow take down Kim would be more than he could meditate his way out of.

Wade stood and paced again. A moment later the screens appeared that meant Shadow was conscious again. He was moving quickly over rooftops during the daylight, judging by what he was seeing. Too quickly, in fact, to have just woken up. Had he been awake for some time and was hiding his view from Wade? If so, why? What was he keeping secret from him?

-(KP)-

Bonnie Rockwaller sneered at Kim as she entered the gym at the high school. "Well, if it isn't our lead. Did you think rehearsals were optional?"

Kim rolled her eyes and dropped her bag by the door to join the theatre troupe. Bonnie was standing with much of the main cast and the drama teacher, Mr. Henderson, and she noticed Malcolm and Zita were already there working with the tech crew on the other side of the gym. Malcolm waved to her when he noticed Kim walk in.

"I was a little busy, _Bon-Bon_," said Kim. "But I'm here now, and I'm no stranger to this play."

"Does that mean you've memorized your lines already?" asked Bonnie. "I have."

"I'm sure you're very accomplished," said Kim.

"Girls," said Mr. Henderson, gathering everyone's attention again. "I'm glad you both are passionate for your roles, seeing as you will be playing rivals on the stage. But the rehearsal process is more than just a means to learn lines."

Mr. Henderson walked between the girls and moved around the cast as he talked. "This is a musical, one of the most famous. You can recite your lines and hit your notes but without co-ordination – without _choreography_ – it is merely clinical. Stereo instructions, with each part moving independently. But with _direction_, the unity of movement that can only be obtained through rehearsal, it ascends from instruction to become art!" He made a sweeping motion with his hand with the last few words and stood for a moment to let it all sink in.

"R-iight," said Bonnie, drawing the word out. "So, basically, you're saying I'm correct."

"What I'm saying, Ms. Rockwaller," said Mr. Henderson. "Is that we require _direction_ to rise from the doldrums. Fortunately, I hold the title of _director_ in this play, so, if at all possible, please refrain from engaging in your role-appropriate rivalry until _directed_ by me."

Bonnie scoffed while a few of the other cast members quietly laughed in response.

"Sorry," said Kim, honestly. "I have been busy, but I'll try to make more time for rehearsals."

"Please do," nodded Mr. Henderson. He raised his hands again. "All right everyone, we're going to start off partway through Act 1 with 'Angel of Music'. If you're in this scene please make sure you have an updated script from Malcolm in the back, if not, please head over to the Home Ec. classrooms where Mrs. Latimer is taking sizes for costumes."

Bonnie crossed her arms. "Good luck, _Kimmie_," she taunted as she walked past Kim and followed the group out of the gym.

-(KP)-

Shego flung herself up into the cockpit of her jet, disregarding the ladder, and began flipping the switches for the pre-flight systems. On the rooftop below, Axel was taking the traditional route of climbing into the co-pilot seat behind her.

It was about mid-day now, they had been roaming the streets for several hours now looking for some good opportunities for Shego to revel in her newly reacquired youth. Axel had made some pointless comment about being on a high, but she dismissed him as being idiotic. Being young wasn't a drug and neither was having fun. Axel was, in her opinion, not living up to his 'genius' reputation so touted by Bella Negra.

Besides, they'd easily won every one of the last twelve brawls they got into. Such a complainer, he was.

Shego's paused as she reached for one of the switches in the cockpit and studied it carefully. "Hmm," she mused. "Someone tampered with my jet."

Axel frowned at her then studied the cockpit around them. "You are right," he said.

Shego jumped back down out of the jet and examined the bottom of the plane and the wings. Her fingers traced the fuselage as she walked, her eyes darting back and forth before focusing on the engine housing. Her hand slowly snaked into the intake and yanked the foreign object out.

Axel climbed down to look closer at what she was doing. Shego had a small, circular device with six claws sticking out of it and a red light that was gently pulsing on top.

"A homing device," said Shego. She crushed it in her hand easily. Her lips curled up. "Someone's interested in us."

"We should leave," said Axel, and bared the brunt of Shego's glare for defying her demand of silence from him a second time.

"Leave?" she eventually chuckled. "Just when something interesting has happened? No way. Let's wait around. Someone's gotta come looking now that I destroyed their little toy. Maybe they'll be fun to play with." She cracked her knuckles again and began pacing around the jet, looking towards the horizon in each direction. She was patrolling her territory.

"Didn't you have a plan?" Axel said suddenly.

"A plan?" asked Shego, looking at him in surprise.

"You recruited me for something," said Axel.

"That's right," said Shego. She tilted her head and began thinking. "To join my ... team." She felt confused, as if her thoughts were being clouded by something. "To be proper villains again."

"Is this 'proper villainy'?" asked Axel. "Lurking Middleton for street gangs?"

Shego stopped in her prowl and looked carefully at Axel. "N-no," she said hesitantly. It wasn't really. She just wanted to celebrate her accomplishment. That was all, really. The fights were just that. A party.

"Then what is?" asked Axel.

Shego seemed paralyzed as she stood there, squinting at Axel as if she couldn't see clearly for a few moment. "We need to ... put up a unified front," she said. "Something that rivals Global Justice. HenchCo... doesn't cut it, and neither did Gemini's stupid organization. We need something that says... villainy without the insanity." Her tense expression eased as she continued on, her words picking up speed as it became easier to focus again. "Drakken wanted to take over the world, but that's impossible. We shouldn't want the world to know we exist. We need to be more subtle. Control the key points in the economy, security, intelligence. Be able to bring the world to its knees if we wanted to, but _invisible_." She looked up into the sky as she considered what she had just said. With such a network, finding out who has the Mantle would be a trivial task. Then she'd get her revenge. How could she have forgotten that?

Axel nodded slowly at her. "How does _this_, help that?" he finally asked.

Shego shook her head. "It doesn't," she said. He was right. They were inviting trouble when they had much more pressing things to deal with. "We're wasting time. We should be heading back to the island." She turned on her heel and headed back towards the cockpit of the jet.

Axel let out a sigh of relief and reached for the rungs on the side of the jet as well.

A slight sound of rubbing metal was the only warning they had before a steel-toed boot impacted Shego's jaw and sent her flailing to the edge of the roof top. She landed hard and only her reflexes allowed her to stop her tumble before careening into the alleyway below. She looked up with an angry scowl and saw a tall, muscular figure covered from head to toe in black Kevlar standing where she was previously and coiling up a retractable grapple.

Axel quickly ran over to stand beside Shego.

"Black Shadow," said Shego as she stood. "I'm starting to think you're a bigger fan of me than Kim Possible is." She wiped her jaw, noting the drop of blood on her hand as she did, and then rolled her shoulders to get ready for the fight this bruiser clearly wanted. "What did I do to get stuck in your bonnet?"

"Evil," said Black Shadow in a deep, monotone voice.

"Well that's not very creative," said Shego with a grin.

"Who's this?" asked Axel, staring wide-eyed at the figure before them.

"Some new vigilante," said Shego, dismissively. She was going to test her new mettle against the new top dog. She could feel her blood pumping in excitement again. "Ran into him a few times already. He seems quite capable. Has got the other people in my team running scared at the sight of him, but I don't know." She raised her fists. "I think I can give him a run for his money."

Axel took a defensive posture but continued studying Black Shadow. "He's more wrong than you are," he said.

"He soon will be," nodded Shego.

Black Shadow launched himself forward at an incredible speed towards them. Axel threw up his fists to try and deflect whatever attack was coming but Shego found it easy to keep up. She darted to the side to try and get a kick into Shadow's gut. To her surprise, however, when she swung her leg around the vigilante was gone, and a heavy crash on the concrete rooftop came from her right. She turned to see Axel scrambling back as Shadow was standing up from the cracked stone tiling.

"Fast," was all that Shego could comment before Shadow had turned his attention back on her. Trying to adjust for her opponents speed, Shego tried to close in quick, ducking under a jab and coming in to land two punches into Shadow's gut.

Shadow staggered back a step from the impact and Shego tried to press the advantage. She slammed her heel into his knee to try and hobble him while twisting her body to do another kick into his side.

To her surprise, his knee felt like steel and her swing kick only slightly unbalanced him. Fortunately, Axel finally lived up to his bodyguard duties and came behind Shadow to punch him three times in the small of his back.

Shadow leapt away, far higher than Shego believed possible, and landed heavily on the opposite side of the rooftop. The roof shook and rumbled slightly from the impact and Shego could hear her grinding of her jet as it resettled itself.

"He's big, but not so tough," said Shego confidently.

Shadow slid his stance further apart, his steel toed boots scratching the rooftop as he moved, and he pulled out an angular tactical knife from his belt and unfolded a black steel rod that Shego guessed was a baton from his upper arm.

Shego narrowed her eyes and smiled. The great Black Shadow was resorting to weapons. She had the advantage and he was trying to level the playing field. But Shego had practice dealing with armed opponents.

She extended her hand a taunted him. "Bring it on, man in black."

The creak of the handle of Shadow's tactical knife as he tightly gripped it was the only sound for a few seconds. Then there was a sound of wind briefly and Shadow was gone.

"Wha—" started Shego as she turned only to feel a knife graze her arm. She pushed her body away from the direction of pain and caught the baton against her ribs. The impact threw her into the ground again and she slid several feet away.

When she looked up again Axel was jumping and twisting to get away from Shadow's quick swings. His shirt and jeans were quickly getting torn and cut from near-misses and after a few seconds of furious motion, the arc of the baton was close enough to land squarely on Axel's shoulder. He grunted loudly and flung himself to the side to get away. His injured arm was held tightly to his side as he rolled.

Shego leapt in to help keep Shadow off her bodyguard while he recovered but the vigilante was expecting that move. Without even turning around his fist came out and hit Shego square in the chest, bringing her leaping punch to a halt mid-air. She landed awkwardly on the ground but managed to stay on her feet.

Shadow refused to let up. He swung the knife around as he turned, the edge of the blade whistling as it missed Shego's face by centimeters. She brought her own fist around to catch the back of Shadow's arm as it moved past. The hammer of her fist impacted Shadow's elbow and while he didn't drop the knife he did over reach with his swing. Shego rolled her body against the arm to get fully behind Shadow and then planted both feet into his back to kick him away.

Shadow stumbled half a dozen steps forward but quickly turned around and held his weapons at ready.

"This isn't going to go well for us," mumbled Shego. She looked down at the tattered remains of her business suit and the torn jeans and tank top on Axel. She missed her powers more now than she ever had in the last few months. But it was a disadvantage she could easily plan for. "Next time we'll be better equipped."

"_Next_ time?" asked Axel.

"Shut up," snapped Shego. She didn't want to hear his pacifistic complaining right now. "I'll keep him busy. Go get the jet off the ground."

Axel sighed and held his arm as he positioned his legs to start sprinting. "Left or right?" he asked.

Shego looked at the approaching giant and played out the scenario in her head. "Right!" she yelled before running towards Black Shadow.

The dark figure focused on Shego, as she hoped, but to make sure Axel would make it past, she rolled to the left on his attacks, barely missing the knife and getting close enough to the baton to feel the wind on her cheek and scream as it cut through the air.

Shadow's movements were fluid as he swung with one hand and stabbed with the other, trying to corral Shego's movements into the path of his blade. If she was any slower, she was sure she would have been skewered several times already. As it was, she was collecting a large number of surface cuts along her arms and legs.

"Any day now!" Shego yelled as she nearly got her arm chopped off when she misjudged the direction Shadow was going to lunge. She could hear the engine beginning to spin up on her jet, and to his credit, the Shadow didn't distract himself by looking. He swung twice more with the knife, chopping off a lock of Shego's hair in the process, before flinging the knife behind him without a glance.

The knife impacted the side of the jet, which appeared to shock Axel, but he continued lifting off the roof all the same.

Shego ducked under a swing of Shadow's baton and then turned to run. She wasn't sure how fast her enemy would catch up to her, but she had at least a half second's lead, which she hoped would be enough. She leapt across the gap between two rooftops and headed for the edge over the main road, pushing all her energy into her legs to make each stride longer than the last. Her legs burned as she dashed, each step crashing against roof tiles that were periodically snapping loudly under her weight. She could feel the oppressive force of Shadow looming behind her and could hear his heavy footfalls.

With a final push she flung herself off the edge of the roof and dove down towards the street below. For a moment, she panicked, seeing nothing beneath her and wondering if she'd just killed herself, but the moment passed and Axel flew underneath her with the jet just long enough for her to land on the canopy and grip the rungs along the side of the fuselage.

"GO!" she yelled when she was sure her grip was good enough and Axel pushed the throttle open, rocketing them forward and over the city.

-(KP)-

Mr. Henderson looked at his watch and tapped his foot.

"Okay, are you taking turns or something?" he said, looking accusingly at Kim.

"What?" asked Kim, confused at the sudden interrogation.

"First you're gone now, she's gone?" said Mr. Henderson.

"Her who?" asked Kim, hoping to reach the same conversation Mr. Henderson was having.

"Ms. Rockwaller!"

Kim looked around with a frown and noted that, indeed, Bonnie hadn't come back from the costumer with the rest of the cast that wasn't in the first rehearsed scene. She turned towards one of the other cast members. "Was Bonnie held up by Mrs. Latimer?"

Tara, one of the other cheerleaders in the school, shook her head. "I didn't even see her back there. I thought she was out here with you."

"She wasn't in the scene we were rehearsing," said Kim, getting concerned. She glanced back at Mr. Henderson. "I'll go check to see if she's just somewhere else in the school."

"You can't _both _leave!" said Mr. Henderson.

"I'll be right back," insisted Kim. She ran out of the gym and into the halls of the school. Since it was Sunday, the building was nearly empty save for the drama club and the track team out in the fields behind the high school. As a result, most of the lights were out, giving the halls a creepy vibe.

"Bonnie!" called out Kim as she ran through the halls. She glanced in the windows of the classrooms as she passed them. They were all dark and nobody could be seen inside. She ran towards the theatre, thinking maybe she was having a diva moment, but she only found members of the tech crew there, and none of them said they'd seen Bonnie at all.

Where else Bonnie could have gone? She knew that the girl had her own car; she could at least confirm she was still in the building if she checked the parking lot.

Heading towards the path to the parking lot, Kim paused when she reached the intersection at the doors that led outside. About halfway down the hall to her left, she saw a pile of jagged glass lying in front of a broken window. She turned and slowly walked up to the shards and noticed something lying beneath the glass.

Gently, Kim brushed away some of the broken bits with the back of her hand to reveal a copy of the script for the play. There was purple highlighter on the script, drawn over one name on the cast listing: Carlotta.

Staring out the window, Kim saw no sign of Bonnie or anyone else, but in the distance she could make out the parking lot, and the bright white convertible that belonged to Bonnie sat there.

-(KP)-

"Let me go, you _hippo_!" screamed Bonnie as she pounded her fists against the steel cage she was in. She'd been taken to this subterranean ... _lair_ of some sort and stuck in this oversized animal cage by a rotund woman with very little fashion sense, at least if the obnoxious cuddle buddy hanging from her neck was any indication.

"Oh, that's rude, dearie," her captor said as she waddled over slowly. The rotund woman bent down looked in the cage with a magnifying glass attached to a flashlight. "No need to sling names around."

"You _kidnapped me_," said Bonnie in disbelief. "And you are so fashion _dead_ I'm worried it's contagious! What is that? A lab coat? Over a _sweater_?"

"Hmmm," mused the style-challenged woman as her tiny eyes peered through her magnifying glass. "Yes, I think you'll do fine. Similar mixed heritage, some of the same genetic markers, comparable bone structure, relative dimensions." She shrugged and put the magnifying glass down. "Not too similar on the surface but it's the insides that matter the most."

"Who the hell are you?" demanded Bonnie. "What do you want with me?"

"My name is DNAmy, and 'I _vant_ your blood!'" she said dramatically with a thick accent.

Bonnie blinked in surprise and looked disgusted. "_Sure_ you do."

"Hmm, same attitude," noted DNAmy.

"_What is going on?"_ screamed Bonnie at the top of her lungs. She rattled her cage violently.

"Tone it down," said DNAmy, standing up and walking over to one of the steel tables in the huge underground lab. "I don't want to have to muzzle you, but I will."

"I swear to god if this has something to do with Kim Possible, I will bring the might of a thousand lawyers down on you _and her_."

DNAmy perked up. "Kim Possible? Oh, you know her?"

"I knew it!" spat Bonnie.

"Was that her school?" asked DNAmy. "I had no idea. I mean, I've never really looked, but it's interesting that she comes from such a mundane place."

"Hey! Who are you calling mundane?" Bonnie paused. "And are you wearing _sweatpants_?"

"Oh, not you," insisted DNAmy. "Certainly not when we're done here. You're going to be my ... uh, herald into a new age of genetics." She picked up a syringe filled with a clear liquid and tapped the tip of it a few times. A light tone reverberated from the metal needle.

"What are you going to do to me?" asked Bonnie. The sight of the syringe drove some of the confidence out of her.

"Well, it's complicated," said DNAmy. "I'm used to doing things a certain way. Recombination, duplication, reorganization, and so on. Genetics has a certain harmony to it. Like a deck of cards. Shuffle in some trump suits, shuffle out some jokers. It's all about being selective."

DNAmy came over to the edge of the cage and squatted down with a grunt to better look inside. "But my partner, see, she wants me to do things the sloppy way. Mutations, splicing, and irradiation. I'm not too used to that. It's like coloring in a few extra spades on an Ace card. _Not_ elegant. But... well, the client is the client." She shrugged. "Unfortunately, it means I simply have a dearth of research data and test subjects for her work and that's where you come in, dearie."

Bonnie swallowed and backed into the corner of the cage, away from where the plus-sized mad scientist was standing. The metal lattice creaked when her back reached the far end.

"Don't worry," she said with a smile that frightened Bonnie. "If all goes well you'll be back to normal when we're done." She reached over the cage and out of sight.

"And if they don't?" asked Bonnie.

"Well," said DNAmy. Bonnie heard a click and suddenly the back wall of the cage began pushing inward forcing her towards the front. It moved slowly and steadily despite Bonnie's attempts to hold it back until she found herself pressed against the front of the cage, wedged too tightly to move. DNAmy reached out ripped off part of Bonnie's sleeve to expose her upper arm. With practiced motions she stuck the needle into her subject's arm and pushed down the plunger. "You can hope that with age comes wisdom, if not _necessarily_ beauty."

DNAmy stood again and pressed the button a second time, causing the cage wall to retract again, releasing Bonnie from being pinned. She quickly scampered back away from the front of the cage and rubbed her tender arm.

"What was that?" asked Bonnie.

"A concoction of some basic mutagens based off my client's DNA," said the scientist. "Should bring you more in line with what I'm trying to fix. Then from there, we'll try to reverse it."

"Reverse what?" asked Bonnie.

DNAmy gave her that sick smile again. "Old age, dearie."

-(KP)-

Kim sighed into the phone with a defeated expression. "Thank you Mrs. Rockwaller. I'll let you know as soon I as hear anything from her." She hung up the phone as calmly as she could despite the turmoil in her stomach, and turned to the group assembled in her living room. "Well, its official, she's missing."

"Man, we can't go a day," muttered Ron. He was sitting on the couch with Yori and Zita.

"Nobody saw who took her?" asked Ken Possible from one of the recliners. "No video feeds or anything?"

"The school doesn't have security cameras," said Felix, who was parked next to the couch on Zita's side.

"Nobody said they saw her after she left the gym," said Kim. "Since the window is not on the path to the Home Ec. rooms, either she was wandering, or whoever took her dragged her over to the windows."

"Who would _do_ that?" asked Malcolm. He was sitting in the other reclining chair opposite Ken. "I mean, I know Bonnie is not going to win any awards for her personality, but is that something she could be kidnapped over?"

"Mrs. Rockwaller doesn't know of anyone who hates them that much," said Kim. "And while they're not poor, they're not that well off that someone would take her for ransom. Mr. Rockwaller is a partner in a large law firm, though, so it's possible whoever took her is trying to get to him."

"If that's the case we'd have to wait for a ransom note," said Ken.

"Yes," nodded Kim. "Until that happens, though, we should rule out the villainous angle."

"The villainous angle?" asked Yori.

"The big players," said Ron. "Drakken, Shego, the Seniors, Duff, Monkey Fist, Motor Ed, Frugal Lucre—"

"Hah, Frugal Lucre," snickered Ken. The rest of the room stared at him and he looked embarrassed. "Sorry. Inside joke."

"We know where Motor Ed is," said Felix.

"And Drakken," said Kim. "Shego, of course, is an unknown. And Junior is with her."

"That leaves Duff, Monkey Fist, and... uh, I guess DNAmy," said Ron.

"DNAmy is the gorilla, yes?" asked Yori.

"Uh, yeah," nodded Ron. "At least the last time we saw her she was. Which probably brings up a good point. Odds are it's not her, unless she reversed that... change."

"Which we can't rule out," said Kim. "She's pretty nutters."

"She did seem pretty obsessed with Monkey Fist last time, though," said Ron. "It doesn't really fit with either of their styles to go after Bonnie though."

"None of them really have a reason to go after Bonnie," said Kim. "Unless they're trying to get to me. But I haven't seen any of them except for Shego in months. It's strange timing."

"But not impossible," said Ken. "So what do we do? We have a lot of unknowns, and short of trying to track down each villain, we can't fully exclude them."

"Can't we go to... Global Justice again?" asked Zita. "They helped last time."

"They were pretty ornery about helping us, actually," said Kim. "I don't think we should make a habit of going to them." She paused. "Though without Wade..."

"Who else do you know that can help us track down people in a flash?" asked Malcolm.

Kim frowned and tried to think through her mental rolodex of contacts. Wade had managed so many of them that she'd forgotten a lot of their details. Few of those she'd helped in the past had the connections to search. And of those she didn't help, the only ones with real networks were villains.

But what else were there? People she helped and people she fought? Was there nobody else?

"In a flash, huh?" Kim said as she thought of something.

-(KP)-

The deep voice of Shadow echoed loudly from the darkness. "You will assist."

"Gah!" yelled Wade in frustration. "There is nothing to _assist_ with! I don't _know_ what that was all about!"

"More information is required. You will assist in obtaining more."

"Did I really make you this obtuse?" asked Wade. "I don't know what's going on with Shego. I don't know why she was that fast, and I don't know how it happened. I can't find more information for you because I don't know where to look!"

"No existing data explains the confrontation," replied Shadow. "More research is required."

"Good god, don't tell me you're caught in an error loop," sighed Wade.

"Damage to internal systems identified," Shadow said abruptly. "Specialist care will not be required. Mending in progress."

"Hey, be careful with that body!" yelled Wade.

"Damage occurred due to unexpected tactical resistance from Shego," informed Shadow. "More information is required to reduce future damage. Your assistance will achieve this objective."

Wade grumbled and sat down in the spotlight again. "Fine. So what do we know? Shego is young again."

"Correct."

"And we know she's suddenly stronger and faster than she ever was," continued Wade.

"Based on existing data, this is a correct assertion," said Shadow.

"We also know, for whatever reason, that she doesn't have her fire powers," said Wade. "Since she stated she wasn't armed, and never once tried to use them in the fight, even when things were turning against her."

"This assertion is supported by existing data."

"So what does that mean?" asked Wade. "Either that's not Shego, just someone who looks a lot like her but with gray hair. Or somehow Shego changed... again. I think it's highly unlikely someone would go through the trouble of impersonating Shego only to get an obvious character trait wrong. That means that something has affected Shego to alter her body."

Wade looked up and held out his hand as he counted off ideas. "That could mean she found the Mantle of Tenoch again, it could mean she was hit with a youth ray, took a drug, is using some autonomic technology like a sub-surface nanoskeleton to enhance her abilities like you do, or – somehow – what we saw wasn't the truth."

"Elaborate," said Shadow.

"On...? Oh, the last one. Well, it's possible it was all an illusion, that you saw something that wasn't real. You could be the one affected, not her."

"Unlikely, tampering with internal systems would be detected," announced Shadow.

"Oh, so we've developed pride now."

"No existing data supports this assertion. Rejected."

Wade shrugged with a half-smile. "Well, I tried."

"Based on existing data, probability of technological interference and chemical interference is greatest," said Shadow. "Investigation will commence on these two lines of inquiry. You will assist in providing resources to explain technological interference."

"Ah, man, just check the internet already."

-(KP)-

Celeste Beaumont looked up from her screen and stared at the two strangers entering the room. They looked beaten and battered, angry, and one of them, strangely enough, looked like Shego.

"What happened to you?" she asked to the woman who was almost certainly a young-again Shego.

"Black Shadow," grumbled Shego as she pulled off her jacket... or what was left of it, and tossed it over her chair. "Caught me off guard." She touched her side and winced painfully. Her shirt was matted to her skin with what looked like blood. "Won't happen next time." She looked at Axel briefly. "Go clean up, there should be clothes in one of the annex quarters."

Axel hesitated for a second then turned and walked out of the room again.

"But... you're ... you're young again!" Celeste finally said. "What happened?"

"DNAmy's little cocktail did the trick," said Shego as she pulled up on her shirt to inspect the skin beneath. She wiped the blood away with her sleeve and revealed a few scrapes and a huge black and blue spot covering half her torso. "Mostly. It's not permanent... yet."

"You look terrible," said Celeste. She stepped down the stairs from her raised console and took a closer look at her employer. "Do you need some help with that or... you know, a surgeon?"

Shego waved her off. "I'll be fine. Where's Junior?"

"He's in Algiers," said Celeste.

Shego paused, turned, and stared. "_Algiers_?"

"We had a lead on some ex-Gemini henchmen that might be useful," said Celeste. "I sent him to find out more and see if he was useful beyond the hair spray, celebrity gossip, and real estate contacts."

"They're probably not worth it," said Shego as she lowered herself down into a chair. "If Omega represents the best of them, they're probably mostly useless."

"Omega?" asked Celeste.

"Long story," said Shego. "Ex-Gemini henchman who survived being 'fired' by the big man. Before _I _fired the big man. Was mostly a whiner, not terribly helpful. Found him while I was walking the globe with Mrs. Lipsky..." she trailed off and her mouth hung open for a moment.

"What is it?" asked Celeste.

Shego tapped her chin with her finger and stared vacantly ahead. "Angela Lipsky," she said as if she were slowly turning the words around in her mind.

Celeste bent down to look into Shego's eyes. "Who's Angela Lipsky?"

Shego blinked and looked at the console beside her. "That's a really good question." She moved the keyboard in front of her and began accessing the HenchCo data network. "And one that I forgot about for a long time."

Celeste stared up at the large hanging display as Shego typed. Her screen was being replicated on the larger display so cat thief didn't have to hover over her shoulder. The HenchCo network returned an archived profile file for the name with a number of aliases.

"Atomic Andy?" asked Celeste. "Wasn't that some huge super-villain from the seventies?"

"Yeah," nodded Shego. "And somehow she retired and ended up Drakken's mom."

"Dr. Drakken is the son of Atomic Andy?" Celeste asked, aghast. "Who's his father?"

"Dunno," said Shego. "Doesn't say here either. Actually, the link between Andy and Drakken isn't listed at all. That's odd. They know her name is Angela Lipsky but haven't gone searching for other Lipsky's to link her to?" She brought up more details from her profile, including a picture of her statuesque figure in a dark leotard costume in front of a burning building.

"Not bad for a grandma," said Celeste.

"She doesn't look like that these days," said Shego, dismissively. "Old age hasn't been kind. Here, I'll pull her DMV photo." She accessed the US State Agencies data feed from the HenchCo connection and searched for Lipsky. The screen lit up red.

_No data available._

"What?" said Shego. "She doesn't have a driver's license?" She typed a few more search criteria into the engine and turned up nothing. Then she backed out to the larger global information databases and searched the entire HenchCo collection of data feeds again.

_No records found._

"She's off-grid?" asked Celeste.

"No way," Shego shook her head. "She had no reason to be. She's just some old lady living in Nevada. She has a trailer, and a car, and magazine subscriptions, they've _got_ to be on record somewhere. Drakken has more of a reason to be unknown and he name is plastered all over this database."

Shego returned to the internal HenchCo database and looked up Lipsky's last known address. The field was blank. She stared at the field in confusion.

"Maybe she was trying to avoid people from her prior life," offered Celeste.

"Her identity never became public," said Shego. "HenchCo probably only knows from word of mouth or—" She paused. "Do we have access to Global Justice from here?"

Celeste put her hands on her hips. "Who's Global Justice? That's the second time you've mentioned them."

"They're a bunch of MI6 wannabes," said Shego. "Privately funded, I think. It's like Blackwater but for spies."

"Like Mission: Impossible," said Celeste.

"Yeah, sure."

"No, then, I don't think we have access to their data," said Celeste.

Shego bit her lip. "We may need to get access then."

"Why do we care about Drakken's mother again?" asked Celeste.

"I'm not sure yet," said Shego, leaning back in her chair. "I didn't have time to think about it before, but something doesn't sit right about her. She was out of the game for so long but she found me in an instant. She knew about Drakken's life but pretended not to for... some reason. She was with us at Global Justice right before it was bombed, and now she's essentially vanished from earth after the whole Gemini thing."

She sighed and leaned back. "She never mentioned the Mantle, but she's clearly hiding something."

"So this is about you, then," stated Celeste.

Shego looked up at her with a furrowed brow. "Yes, it's about me."

"Hey, I'm just making sure if we're bringing down the wrath of the Impossible Missions Force on our fledging organization of _four_ people, we're doing it for a reason that actually matter to more than one of us."

"I'm bankrolling this little startup," Shego said angrily. "Things that benefit me, benefit all of you. You should all be thinking real hard about how to keep me happy."

"I was getting by _fine_ before you showed up," said Celeste, turning her back on the gray haired villain. "I'm here because of promises of money, influence, and getting the Architect off my back for good. It's no damn favor to me if you find some _other_ big, malicious organization to chase me instead."

"Global Justice has its own problems to worry about," said Shego. "We're not worth their time. Especially if we're in and out quickly before they know why we were there."

"That's not likely to happen," said Celeste, turning around. "It's not like we've done very well so far being convert. Especially if your clothes are any indication of how discrete you've been in the last twenty-four hours."

Shego slapped her torn pants. "This is nothing. I just needed to test my limits a bit now that I'm rejuvenated. I know what I'm capable of now, I know I can cause a big enough fuss to let you get in unseen."

Celeste raised a finger to argue then hesitated. "Wait, what? You have a plan?"

Shego looked expectantly at her. "Yes, that's what I'm saying."

"Will it work?" Celeste narrowed her eyes.

"Reasonably sure," shrugged Shego. "Worst that happens is I get a little more beat up than usual. After last night that's not a big issue anymore either."

Celeste sighed and paced around the room. "_What_ exactly do you hope to gain from this?"

"Something to tell me what Lipsky is hiding," said Shego.

"And _then_ what? How does that help us? Or _you_?"

"Something bigger was happening that night in Gemini's headquarters," said Shego slowly. "The Mantle was probably just a ploy, considering what it did to me. But Drakken and Gemini sure as hell _thought_ it was going to make them super warriors, so were _they_ the target of the plot? Was Kim Possible the target? Was Global Justice?"

Shego slapped her fist into her palm. "Whoever planned that night orchestrated a hell of a lot of people into one place with _none_ of them knowing they were being used. _Including me_. With all that effort, with so many players on the field, there had to be a big payoff involved."

"Like what?" asked Celeste, confused.

"I don't know. Someone who benefits from Gemini being disbanded, Global Justice being scattered and disorganized, Drakken in jail, Kim Possible in the hospital, and the Mantle completely assembled."

"So, someone like us."

"_What_?" asked Shego.

"Well, what better opportunity is there for a new collective organization to rise to power than when the top hero team and spy agency is in disarray and the highest profile villains have been defeated? How long has it been since that day? Six months? Someone just had six months of unsupervised time to build their own empire."

Shego stared as her eyes grew wider. "Like someone who suddenly has no online identity at all."

"Possibly," said Celeste.

"We need to get to that GJ data," said Shego, resolutely. "I have to know if it's her." She got up quickly and started heading for the door.

"And if it is?" called Celsete. "Are we joining up or rivaling them?"

Shego paused in the doorway and looked down. "If she did this to me, then she's going down." She waited a second more, then vanished into the hall.

-(KP)-

The purple front door opened way to show a startled black man with graying temples and very large glasses. "Oh, hello!" said a surprised Dr. Linus Freeman. He adjusted his glasses to look at the entourage of people on his porch. "My goodness, did I forget a lecture again?"

"Uh, no, Dr. Freeman," said Kim with a smile. "I'm Kim Possible, we've met before?"

"Yes, of course," smiled Dr. Freeman. "I couldn't possibly forget how you helped me with that that Drakken fellow. Especially since Sadie reminds me about it frequently." He nodded. "You made quite an impression on her, you know. So, how have you been? Are these all your friends?"

"Yes, they are," said Kim. "And I'm actually in a bit of a jam right now and was wondering if you could help me out?"

"Of course," said the doctor. He stepped back and waved everyone inwards. "Please, come in!" He turned his head. "Audrey, could you make some coffee?"

"Yes, Dr. Freeman!" came a computerized voice from inside the house.

"Jeffrey, do we have some cookies left?" Dr. Freeman called back.

"I believe there are some in the fridge," called out another voice, different from the first one.

"I have a _name_ you know!" a yet third different voice called out.

"Fine, _Bertha_, open your big doors and spit the cookies out," the second voice replied.

"That is _not_ my name!" the third voice called back.

Dr. Freemen smiled to Kim. "Don't mind them. The kitchen appliances don't get along very well. Please have a seat in the living room."

-(KP)-

Despite Dr. Freeman's assurances, Team Possible could help but feel awkward under combined staring of the AI's contained within the television, DVD player, cordless phone, cell phone, and overhead fan. Occasionally the vacuum cleaner would poke its beater head out of the closet as well to steal a glance at the guests as well.

"I think I've had nightmares like this," said Malcolm quietly.

"So what can we do for you, Kim?" asked Dr. Freeman, oblivious to the situation.

"When you were missing, your ... _friends_ were quick to track me down and send S.A.D.I. to pick me up to help," said Kim. "They were quite clever, and I was wondering if they might be able to help me track down someone who has recently gone missing."

"Missing," said Dr. Freeman, looking concerned. "My word, I'm sorry to hear that. We'll gladly help however we can. What would you like them to do?"

"One of our classmates was abducted from the high school earlier today," explained Kim. "Sometime between twelve-thirty and one-thirty. We can't find a trace of her and we're wondering if maybe you... _all_ could find something we can't."

"She's talking about hacking!" came a voice from under the sofa. "We're going to get in trouble! Run! Run!"

The room collectively looked at the sofa then up at Dr. Freeman.

"My electric razor has been a little paranoid recently," said Dr. Freeman. "It's okay, Tripp, nobody is going to get in trouble."

"Yeah, we can access public feeds first," said the television. "Don't get your cord in a tangle."

"This is honestly stranger than most of the other universes I've seen," whispered Ken.

"Her name is Bonnie Rockwaller," said Kim. She held out a picture. "This is what she looks like. We'd also like to know where this list of criminals was during the time of the kidnapping, so we can rule them out."

A number of appliances scurried over at that moment to examine the picture and list. Most were relatively silent, with the exception of the phone, which promptly screeched.

"Shego!" said the phone. "I remember her; she was the scary one who kidnapped you, Dr. Freeman!" The razor under the sofa chattered in fear again.

Dr. Freeman calmly nodded. "I remember her as well. She was a very sharp dresser."

Everyone stared blankly at him again.

"Not enough people wear green," he said.

"I'm really scared that this is our best lead," muttered Zita to Felix.

"She was just on the news today," said the television.

"Who was?" asked Kim.

"Shego," replied the television. The screen suddenly came to life and displayed a news report showing a grainy security camera video of Shego leaping across desks at the police station and beating on cops.

"Holy..." muttered Malcolm.

"She doesn't look nearly as old as you said she was," Felix said.

"No," frowned Kim. "She doesn't."

The video continued until Shego slammed a detective into a wall single handed then threw him across the room which caused the camera to shake and then go dark. The news report continued, with reporters announcing that the breakout occurred late last night, and that the criminal freed from the jail was Donny Callahan.

"Axel?" asked Zita. "Wasn't he one of Motor Ed's gang?"

"Yeah," said Ron. "We got him during the fire at the garage." He moved his arms apart. "Big guy, large muscles, says very little."

"Why does Shego want one of Motor Ed's henchmen?" asked Felix.

"And why is she young again?" asked Kim. "Did she find the Mantle?"

"Are you sure the Mantle is what made her old to begin with?" asked Ken.

"You don't suppose she kidnapped Bonnie, do you?" asked Ron. "You have to admit the timing is pretty suspicious."

"What reason would Shego have to kidnap Bonnie?" asked Kim.

"What reason would she have to break Axel out of jail?" asked Zita.

A chirping sound came from a black rectangle on the coffee table. The face of the device lit up and began displaying text. "We've identified the location of several of these criminals," said the cell phone. "Between the laptop, the server, and me, we are only having trouble determining where three people are: Montgomery Fiske, Amy Hall, and Senior Junior. Fiske was last seen leaving the country months ago and hasn't reappeared stateside. Senior Junior was identified in the company of Shego, but he does not appear in the security footage from the police station. And Amy Hall was last seen during Christmas at the Middleton Mall fighting over limited edition 'Cuddle Buddies.' No sightings since then."

"DNAmy is in Middleton?" asked Kim. "And she _doesn't_ look like a gorilla."

"Why would she look like a gorilla?" asked the cell phone. "There is no mention of gorillas in association with her appearances during Christmas according to the laptop." There was a pause and the sound of distant chirping. "Sorry, according to 'Eugene'."

"Who's Eugene?" asked Malcolm.

"The laptop," said the cell phone.

"This place reminds me of Akihabara," said Yori softly. Ron looked at her with a boggled expression.

"What about the others?" asked Ken.

"Duff Killigan is in Scotland Yard, in association with an attempted destruction of the Royal Calcutta golf club," said the cell phone. "Senior Senior registers his private jet flights with the FAA when he comes into the United States and he has not returned in several weeks. Professor Dementor is lecturing at a HenchCo convention is Atlanta all this week. And Frugal Lucre is in prison."

"Wow, that was quick," said Zita.

"Clustered computing," said the cell phone, proudly.

"Was all of that _publically_ available information?" asked Dr. Freeman, skeptically.

"I admit nothing," replied the cell phone and its screen went dark again.

"Hmph," said Dr. Freeman.

"So what does that all mean?" asked Felix.

"Well, we know that Shego is back in town," said Ron. "And DNAmy is back in town. Though who knows why either would want Bonnie."

"We also know that Shego is young again," said Kim. "And DNAmy is human ... again." She frowned. "I wonder if that's connected."

"You think DNAmy and Shego are working together?" asked Ken.

"Or they're sharing notes," said Malcolm. "If DNAmy really turned herself into a Gorilla and back again like you said, then maybe she could do the same for Shego?"

"That doesn't explain how Bonnie fits into it," said Zita. "It could be only a coincidence that Shego surfaced the same time Bonnie was kidnapped."

"It may be," said Kim. "But it's the only lead we have right now. Let's check out the police station and see if we can figure out where she went after there." She stood and nodded towards the door.

"We don't all have to go," said Ken as he got up. "Maybe we can split up and cover more ground. DNAmy has to have a place somewhere, maybe Ron, Yori and I can search the area around the mall to see if anyone has seen her recently. You tackle Shego. We'lll go after DNAmy and hopefully we meet in the middle."

Kim considered this hesitantly. "Alright," she said after a long minute.

-(KP)-

Bonnie groaned as she stirred in her cage. She felt sore all over her body, especially wherever she was in contact with the rough and cold floor of the cage. As she moved her joints ached and she found it hard to focus on anything too far beyond the edge of the cage.

"Ah, we're awake, excellent!" came a cheerful voice. Bonnie hated that voice, and it sounded even more grating now that it did before she was violently drugged.

DNAmy strolled up to the cage and bent down to peer inside with her flashlight magnifying glass. "Oh, that was quicker than I thought," she said with a grin. "Looks pretty good, I'd say maybe late sixties, early seventies. About where I wanted it to be."

"What?" groaned Bonnie. She found her voice raspy and hard to speak, as if she hadn't used her throat in years.

"Well, I had a pretty good idea of what I was doing, speeding up aging is easier than reversing it after all, but I wasn't sure if it would take seven days to fully catch up or if the booster I mixed in would do it quicker." DNAmy opened the cage and reached in. "Looks like it was quicker! Come on, take my hand."

Bonnie looked at the offered hand and the open cage door beyond it. She was confused. Why was this lunatic suddenly letting her out of the cage? Was it a trick or some sort of test?

A sharp pain in the small of her spine motivated Bonnie to take any offer that included getting out of the cramped space. She reached out and grabbed DNAmy's hand. When she did she noticed how frail and bony her hand and arm looked, with dull skin and occasional liver spots on it. She nearly screamed if it weren't for her throat nearly collapsing in on itself when she tried.

"What did you do to me?" Bonnie shouted as loud as she could muster. It wasn't much, but the more she tried the more of the crud clogging up her throat seemed to give way.

"Come on, I'll show you," said DNAmy. She seemed inordinately pleased with herself and pulled Bonnie out of the cage.

With effort Bonnie straightened herself and rubbed her back after the effort. She felt terribly tired and beaten, and she wondered if DNAmy had been kicking her while she was unconscious.

"Here you are, dearie," said DNAmy and motioned to a full length mirror. Bonnie looked in it and saw the psychotic doctor and some old woman. She couldn't see herself anywhere.

"You made me invisi...ble..."

Bonnie's words trailed off when she noticed the old woman in the picture voicing the exact same syllables. She raised her hand and the woman copied the action. Bonnie quickly flexed her fingers and shifted her weight suddenly and the old woman in the mirror didn't miss a beat. It was almost like it was her reflection.

"Oh... my god..." Bonnie said, shaking. She put her hands to her face and tried to scream, and then when that didn't work, she tried to scream again, and again, until she was finally making a shriek that compared with the incomparable horror she was being shown. Bonnie tried to back away from the image, the horrible, _horrible_, image and tripped on a stool behind her. She toppled backwards and nearly struck the floor if DNAmy hadn't caught her arm and stopped her.

"Don't go breaking a hip now," said DNAmy as she pulled the stricken woman back to her feet. "I need you healthy if I'm going to test my treatments on you."

"Why would you do this?" shouted Bonnie.

"I already explained it to you," said DNAmy. "I'm trying to cure old age. I need someone old if I'm going to do that, though."

"Then take an actually old person!" said Bonnie. "Why do this to _me_?"

"Well, I'm actually trying to fix _artificial_ aging," said DNAmy. "And I needed a suitable parallel to my client's biology to use as a subject. I don't want to accidentally kill my client or I'll never get paid, so, you are here to be her proxy."

"You're going to kill me?" Bonnie said, clutching her hands together.

"Well, I'm trying _not_ to, but, as the saying goes, you can't make an omelet without cracking a few skulls."

"_Eggs_!" said Bonnie. "Cracking a few _eggs_!"

"Whatever," shrugged DNAmy. "Same difference. If it works, you'll get the next wonder drug for free, if not, I'll find a new test subject." She nodded to herself and then smacked her lips a few times. "Well, that's enough gab, let's try out anti-aging toxin number 1!"

"Toxin?" echoed Bonnie.

"Oh, yeah, don't worry about it. It's just a name," said DNAmy with a suspicious look to the side.

"Please let me go," begged Bonnie.

"Ah, dearie, we're way passed that point," said DNAmy. She reached over and picked up a syringe and brandished it dramatically. "Onwards and upwards is the only path now." She quickly stuck the needle into Bonnie's arm and injected its bluish contents into her bloodstream.

"Ah!" screamed Bonned as she clutched her arm at the injection site. "It... b-b-burns!"

"Oh, right, there is some burning sensation associated with these drugs," said DNAmy. "I should have warned you ahead of time. That's was my mistake."

"AAAHHH!"

-(KP)-

Ron pulled his coat tighter around his waist as he walked with Yori towards the next convenience store that would undoubtedly have none of the information they were looking for. They had arrived a few hours ago and had only found limited success going door to door asking about DNAmy. Ken decided to try the local precinct to see if there were any police reports and Ron and Yori left to check out the local grocery stores. They figured she'd have to be going out for food pretty regularly, and someone must have seen her at the market.

The sun had gone down a while ago, however, and Ron and Yori were quickly feeling the chill of a Midwestern winter night in their bones that the almost tropical Yamanouchi weather failed to prepare them for.

"Are you okay?" asked Ron for about the twelfth time.

"I will be fine, Stoppable-san," said Yori, one of the few sentences she'd uttered to him all day. "We must continue on if we hope to find Rockwaller-san."

"Right, right," nodded Ron. He breathed out and watched the cloud of vapor disperse into the air around them.

Ron wasn't sure what was going on, but it was clear that Yori was upset with him, and after what Ken mentioned that morning, he was worried that she was trying to find a way to take on the Shade all by herself. Ron didn't want her doing that alone and would have thought she'd talk to him if she needed help. But her silent treatment was making him question that assertion.

"Um, so, what were you doing today, before we met at Kim's house?" asked Ron, trying to sound casual.

"I was at the library," said Yori, repeating the story Ron's mother had given him.

"Really? What... uh, what were you looking for?" asked Ron.

"I was attempting to find news about Yamanouchi," said Yori. "However there was nothing in the news, and I do not have e-mail addresses for the other students and teachers."

"I'm sure they're coming up with a plan," said Ron. "It hasn't been that long. And it seemed like Hirotaka was in contact with them, when we saw him in the Dreamscape last week."

"Hirotaka-san would not give us details," said Yori. "I do not understand why we are not being included."

"We're just students," said Ron.

"I am apprentice to Master Sensei," said Yori, a little hotly. "And Hirotaka is only a student as well."

"Yuudai-sensei must have had his reasons," offered Ron.

"I do not understand them," said Yori. "Especially given what..." She suddenly sighed and shook her head. "Nevermind."

"What is it?" asked Ron, frowning. He'd never known Yori to leave a thought incomplete before. He'd also never really seen her angry either, but she was clearly heading in that direction.

"It is personal, Stoppable-san," said Yori. "I do not wish to speak of it."

"All right, all right," nodded Ron, weary of pressing the issue. "Just... you know, I don't want you to think you're alone, you know. You've got all of Team Possible now." He gestured around for emphasis. "And you've got me. I can help you whenever you need it, so... you know, don't, like, be afraid to tell me... what you're doing."

Yori looked up at Ron and her expression softened slightly. "Thank you, Stoppable-san." She reached out and took his hand and held it as they walked.

Ron looked ahead and half-smiled. That seemed to go well, and she didn't seem quite so angry at the end. Maybe he had actually said the right thing?

They walked in silence for several more minutes before reaching the convenience store. They took the pictures they had of DNAmy and showed them to the clerk, asking if he'd seen her before. The clerk, an older gentleman with gray hair and an aging sweater vest shook his head and apologized before directing them to the nearest store from there.

The duo stepped back out onto the street and headed towards the Smarty Mart that they were pointed towards.

"I wish to find out what happened to Master Sensei," said Yori after several more minutes of silent (hand-in-hand) walking.

Ron looked at her, startled at the sudden outburst and the request. "I do too," he said slowly.

"We should enter the dreamscape tonight and look for him," said Yori.

"T-tonight?" said Ron. He was supposed to train again with Amanda Veers tonight and she had told him explicitly not to bring company. "How would we find him in the dreamscape?"

"We must search for his dreams," said Yori. "Or the source of the barrier that prevented Master Sensei from meditating."

"If he couldn't get to the dreamscape, wouldn't we be prevented from getting to his dreams?" asked Ron.

Yori shook her head. "All things dream, Stoppable-san. And if they dream they have a presence in the dreamscape. We may be prevented from easily locating Master Sensei's dreams, but they must exist. And from there, we can find him."

Ron nodded absently but then felt uneasy. "Then, doesn't that mean anyone skilled in dreamwalking could find almost anyone, assuming they eventually fall asleep?"

Yori nodded. "Those most skilled in _sansaku no kyuumu_ can find anyone's dream that does not have defenses, such as those of other dreamwalkers."

"Then we should go now," said Ron quickly. "If I can use it to find Bonnie, then we don't need to be searching door to door anymore!"

Yori shook her head, though. "You can find anyone in the dreamscape, Stoppable-san, but that does not mean you know where they are in the physical world. You will have to pull them from their dream and ask them to find that out."

"And if Bonnie was kidnapped, she might not know where she is," said Ron, deflating. At least now he knew why Amanda Veers' location spell was a big deal since it allowed dream mages to find things in the real world using dream magic. He only wished his training was further along so he could use it now.

"But it is something we can try tonight," said Yori. "If we do not find her."

Ron nodded again. He hated knowing there was more he could be doing but wasn't yet experienced enough. He needed to learn more and quickly if he was going to be able to protect anyone.

Yori suddenly stopped and pulled Ron back a step. She tilted her head slightly and froze. "Listen," she said softly.

Ron frowned and lifted his head to figure out what she was asking him to listen to. He held his breath and tried to listen closely. First he heard the drips in the storm drains, and then the buzz of the street lights, which were nothing special. He listened further and heard someone walking in the distance, just barely over the sound of an airplane passing overhead, which was drowning out a lot of the softer noises in the—

Airplane!

Ron snapped his head upwards in time to see a small jet fly overhead and towards the western part of the city. It was a sleek jet, colored black with just a hint of green.

-(KP)-

Shego rubbed her aching neck as she climbed down out of her jet and onto the sewer access corridor at the Middleton Reservoir. Her joints were starting to hurt again and her skin was taking on that paler hue, showing blue tinted veins beneath. She stumbled a bit when she hit the ground and had to grab onto Axel to keep her balance. Her (mostly) silent bodyguard was almost unmoving, despite the sudden motion, and she quickly righted herself.

Celeste jumped down next and looked at Shego closely. "Wow, that stuff fades fast," she said.

Shego looked to be in her late fifties already, the re-aging process having taken hold midway through their flight back to Middleton. At first, it burned almost as badly as the first injection did, but now it had receded to a dull throb that seemed centered on the base of her skull.

"Faster every time, I've noticed." muttered Shego. "I feel like crap. I'm taking spare doses with me this time."

"You should stop," said Axel as he helped Shego walk along the slick tunnel walls. Shego wrenched her arm from Axel's grip then and brushed him off.

"I don't want to hear it," said Shego. She carefully stepped forward and forced herself to move quickly, despite her migraine and aching body. "You're just jealous."

"You will destroy yourself," said Axel.

"Quiet, now."

Celeste took up the rear, checking their backs occasionally. She was wearing her black cat suit and equipment bandolier again since she was worried about encountering Black Shadow. She would have avoided this trip entirely if it was up to her, as she still wasn't confident in the plan to infiltrate Global Justice, but Shego was insistent it would work without her.

"This is gross, by the way," said Celeste as she stepped over... something in the sewer. "You aren't bothered by your doctor living in a cesspool of city garbage?"

"There are wide sections of decommissioned sewer exchanges down here," said Shego. "Drakken used them a few times and they're relatively clean these days. They're leftover from a few ambitious city planners in the eighteen nineties, who seemed to believe there would be a need to run a railroad through these tunnels someday."

"These were subway tunnels?" asked Celeste, surprised.

"No, but they could have been," said Shego. "Eighteen eighties construction techniques wouldn't hold up to the stress a regularly running modern train would put on them. The city shut these tunnels down in the sixties and routed most of the sewage through the newer anti-corrosive pipes, which happen to be much smaller." She looked down at the murky water beneath them. "This is just runoff from the storm drains now, not actual sewage."

"Doesn't look any cleaner," said Celeste.

"Neither are the streets," said Shego.

The trio walked through the tunnels into the dryer, but older segments before coming across a tall steel door affixed to the entrance of a tunnel junction. Shego knocked on the door, then shook her hand afterwards. The stinging on her knuckles was a bit more intense than she had anticipated.

The door swung open and DNAmy stood there with her (not at all) charming smile. "Oh my!" she said suddenly. She looked at Shego's face and then took her hand and studied it. "The effects are so brief."

Shego pulled her hand away from the insane doctor. "That's why I'm back for my booster shot." She pushed past the doctor and walked into the underground lair. "And hook me up with some spares this time, I don't want to wade through Middleton's refuse every ten hours just to get down here." Axel and Celeste walked in after her and DNAmy shut the door behind them.

"I don't have a lot synthesized, but I can give you another dose and give you one spare," said DNAmy. She moved around Shego's team and over to one of her cabinets. She pulled open the doors and took out a syringe and two bottles.

"What's taking so long to make this stuff?" asked Shego as she was rolling up the sleeve of her catsuit.

"Hmmm," mused DNAmy as she looked at the bottles. "Splicing together the proper mutagens takes time and I can't do it in very big batches without the risk of uncontrolled mutation overtaking the scheduled ones." She shook her head and smiled again. "That's why recombination is easier. Systemic reordering has much less risk of uncontrolled mutation."

"Whatever," Shego shook her head and then rubbed her temples. "Just give it to me before I get angry."

DNAmy tittered as she filled the syringe. "Too late for that, huh?" she teased. She flicked the tip of the syringe and stuck it into Shego's arm.

"There you go, dearie," she said, and tossed the syringe in the trash. She held out the remaining bottle. "This is your spare, I wouldn't recommend dosing yourself until at least eight hours have passed."

Shego winced as she felt the fire burn through her veins. "Why?" she grimaced. She could feel her skin start to tightly slightly, but the effect was taking longer this time.

"There seem to be some cumulative effects of these treatments," said DNAmy. "I'm not sure what it'll do to you if it builds to significant levels. Could result in liver failure. That's deadly regardless of your age, so I'd be careful."

"Fine," snapped Shego as she snatched the bottle from DNAmy.

Suddenly a scream echoed through the lab.

"The hell—" started Shego as she turned around. Axel and Celeste started searching the expansive lab as well until their eyes settled on a curtained off area in the back.

"Oops, that's me," said DNAmy raising her hand. She walked around Shego and scurried between the tables over towards the curtain. She slipped between the folds and vanished within.

"What the hell was that?" asked Celeste, nervous.

Axel shook his head and started walking towards the curtain. Shego and Celeste maintained a few paces behind him as they walked. They heard murmurings coming from inside the curtain as they got nearer, which coalesced into words once they were within range.

"-stop. Please stop..." whimpered a woman.

"No, no, this is _good_, you see," DNAmy could be heard. "You didn't fully revert this time. We're getting closer to permanency. And at least it didn't burn quite so much this time, right?"

"nooooooo," a low moan cried out.

Axel reached out and pulled aside the curtain revealing a bed with an elderly woman with gray hair strapped to it and an IV-drip attached to her arm. DNAmy was standing over her writing something down on a clipboard while a series of syringes lay on a nearby table covered in plastic.

"What are you doing?" asked Celeste. "Are you torturing this woman?"

"Torture?" asked DNAmy, shocked. "Why would I be doing that? She's my test subject."

"For what?" asked Shego.

"For you, dearie," said DNAmy. "I can't very well work with your deadlines while you're always out getting into fights. I need a subject _here _to test treatments on to see if one will work on you."

"Did... did you clone me?" asked Shego, angrily. Why was everyone always trying to clone her?

"No, that would have taken way too much time," said DNAmy, dismissively. "This was a comparable analogue to your genetic makeup, with a little tweaking by me to get her into a testable state."

"Comparable analogue—?" started Celeste. "This is a _PERSON_. You can't _do_ this! Stop it!"

"I can't," said DNAmy. "If I stop now she'll be stuck like this."

"Stuck like what?" asked Shego.

"This age," said DNAmy. "I'm trying to find a way to restore her original age, which, if it works, should work on you too."

"She was my age and you _made_ her old?" shouted Shego.

"Younger originally, I think," DNAmy tapped her chin in reflection.

Shego balled her fist and wished she could light up her fire. "Fix. Her."

"I'm trying to," said DNAmy with a shrug.

"_Humanely_," spat Shego.

"Well, if you want that, then you gotta wait," said DNAmy. She raised a finger and wagged it at Shego. "Doing things safely takes time, but you were very clear earlier about being in a rush. If you want results, you have to take short cuts. Or I need a better facility."

"So help me, Amy, if this was about _money_—"

"No!" shouted DNAmy, and she stepped right up to the taller woman. "This is about our _relationship_. You came to _me_ for a service that I contracted with you to provide. I am the supplier, you are the client. You don't get to dictate how my service is conducted, you only get the end product. If you want to wave your fists in my face and make threats, then there is going to be a _cost_ for that, and it's not always going to be a monetary one!"

"You tortured this woman to prove a point!" shouted Shego.

"No," said DNAmy calmly. "You _forced_ me to torture her because you didn't have patience."

"You little troll," growled Shego.

"You don't like the way I do things?" said DNAmy. She held out her hand. "Fine, give me the bottle back. Our relationship is concluded. Enjoy your last eight hours of youth."

Shego looked at DNAmy and then raised the hand holding the bottle. She held it over DNAmy's outstretched palm and hesitated. Her brow twitched.

"Problems?" asked DNAmy.

"Shego, give it to her," said Celeste.

Shego winced slightly and almost started to open her hand but then clutched the bottle tightly again.

"Gonna find it hard to be old again, aren't you?" said DNAmy, with narrowed eyes. "Are you sure you care so much about what happens to this girl?"

Shego grit her teeth.

"Drop it, Shego," said Celeste. "I'm not going stick around if you're going to do business with this witch."

"Oh, watch the names, dearie," said DNAmy with a tilt of her head towards Celeste. "You're dressed like a cat, after all."

Shego breathed steadily and slowly started opening her fingers.

Three loud bangs echoed through the lab and startled everyone. Shego's trip tightened again and she turned towards the steel door.

"More company?" asked DNAmy. "Were you followed?"

Three much more louder bangs echoed, followed by the sound of twisting metal.

DNAmy stared, wide-eyed. "There's no way someone could force their way through that door. Even hopped up on this stuff you only made a dent."

The screech of metal sounded loudly and Celeste and DNAmy covered their ears to muffle the sound. It continued for several seconds before going quiet. Eventually all three looked up towards the door.

"Did they give up?" asked Celeste.

Then the door exploded.

-(KP)-

The smoke was billowing out of the sewer tunnels at a constant rate by the time Kim and Ken arrived with their teams to where Shego's jet had touched down. They found the vehicle parked in front of a large, grated sewer tunnel that was nearly fifteen feet wide. After a brief discussion about who was best suited to fight Shego; Ken, Kim, Ron and Yori dashed into the tunnels following the source of the smoke.

A few turns and missteps later, they found the source. The tunnel had been devastated by some sort of explosion, with shards of thick metal lying in pieces all over the tunnel and embedded into the walls. Flaming piles of garbage lie scattered about generating much of the smoke that was still filling the sewers.

"Something went really wrong here," said Ken.

The sounds of fighting caught Kim's ears and she turned and leapt through the rubble at the end of the tunnel and into a surprisingly large, but equally devastated space beyond. Kim expected to find more tunnels and possibly some heavy machinery, but instead she saw dozens of overturned metal tables, glass cabinets, medical equipment, bandages, and other equipment she recognized from her mother's hospital.

Moving through the wreckage, however, she saw Black Shadow, fighting against a young Shego, Bella Negra, and Axel while a scrambling DNAmy was shoving things into a leather bag as she tried to keep away from the fighting.

"Uh, who do we assist here?" asked Ron.

"Black Shadow," said Kim. "Go after DNAmy and I'll get Shego." Kim ran off to join the fight.

"I'm with you!" said Ken as he ran after her.

Ron and Yori shared a glance and then ran in opposite directions. Ron skirted wide trying to get to DNAmy while Yori went to get Axel and Celeste.

-(KP)-

Shego kicked Black Shadow in the chest to get away from the wide sweep of his knife and then ducked to barely miss the baton by her head. A quick lunge to the side avoided the follow-up attack and gave Celeste an opportunity to strike at the beast's head. Somehow, he simply rolled with it and was ready when Axel went for a punch the gut and nearly caught his jaw.

Black Shadow couldn't be human, Shego concluded. They had just fought earlier in the day and despite the rejuvenating effects of DNAmy's drug, she could still feel the ache in her side where the baton hit her. There was no way Shadow was just shrugging off all these hits and getting stronger without access to similar or better drugs than the ones DNAmy were creating.

"Four o'clock," said Axel as he was back pedaling to avoid the Shadow's swings. Shego glanced to the right and saw what he was saying. Kim Possible had arrived.

"Crap," muttered Shego. This was going to get even worse.

She didn't have time to say anything else, though, because Shadow had rolled off his miss at Axel to swing at her. She twisted her body to avoid the baton but Shadow caught her shoulder with the handle of the tactical knife and she felt herself hit the ground.

Knowing she couldn't slow down for a minute, she pushed herself away from Shadow quickly enough that she the avoided the killing blow.

Coincidentally she landed in the path of the approaching Kim Possible, who started to wind up an attack of her own.

"Not NOW, Princess!" yelled Shego as she reached up to catch Kim's fist then turn it aside. "Mother is _busy_." She kicked Kim in the gut to get her away so she could turn her attention back at Shadow.

"Shego?" said a voice that was impossibly familiar. Impossible because there was no way it could be here. But familiar because she knew those tones perfectly.

She turned and looked at the young man running up to her.

"Ken?" she barely uttered.

Then she collided with Celeste who had been thrown at her by Shadow.

-(KP)-

"Drop it, DNAmy!" said Ron as he approached the mad scientist. She was hunched and shoving bottles into a brown leather satchel when he got close.

"Uh, Kim Possible's sidekick, right?" said DNAmy, her eyes wide and darting around.

"Ron Stoppable," announced Ron. Still the villains never knew his name. "I'm sure Monty has mentioned me."

"Right! That's right, you're that guy," said DNAmy. She tried to discretely throw another bottle into her bag. "The mystical monkey powers guys."

"Stop what you're doing," said Ron, moving closer. "What's going on here? What are you doing with Shego?"

"That's complicated," said DNAmy, shrugging to the side. She kicked up a chair into her hand and placed it between her and Ron as she backed up. "Do you mean now, or this morning, or yesterday?"

Ron stepped around the chair. "Did you kidnap Bonnie Rockwaller?"

DNAmy shrugged. "I have no idea who that is. I don't take a lot of names in what I do." She continued backing up until she was against the back wall.

"Did you take someone from the school?" Ron said, louder.

"Oh, her? Maybe, I did," smiled DNAmy. "You know how it is, you get busy and everything just falls right out of the brain!" She shoved her had into her bag and pulled out a green vial.

"What are you doing?" Ron demanded, looking at the vial suspiciously. He had his hands up in guard position and he let himself fade into the dream slightly to channel Hirotaka's karate skills.

"What? This? Just a little memory jogger," said DNAmy. Then she threw the glass on the floor and it exploded in a green gas that quickly enveloped her and Ron.

Ron took a whiff of the gas and began to feel faint. He quickly covered his nose with his sleeve. "AMY!" he yelled and began reaching out to find her.

The sound of sliding metal was suddenly nearby and Ron whipped his head around to find the source. Then it stopped and started again. "AMY!" Ron yelled again.

"Heeheehahaha!" DNAmy's cackling sounded frighteningly distant and had an echo before the sliding metal noise drowned it out completely. Ron reached the wall and began feeling around but couldn't figure out where Amy had run. He walked along the wall through the green smoke running his hands along the concrete looking for a seam or door that Amy could have vanished into.

Eventually his legs ran into a bed and nearly toppled over it. He caught himself on the headboard and froze when he saw a frightened old woman lying on it. He stared at her in shock, trying to fit this piece in the puzzle.

"Ron?" croaked the woman weakly.

The back of Ron's mind fell out as he noticed the features of her face.

"Bonnie?" he said.

-(KP)-

Axel only barely managed to stop Black Shadow from throwing a table at the tangled mess of Celeste and Shego by grabbing his waist and then throwing all his weight into a kick to the black giant's knees. The table fell from the Shadow's grip and Axel used the momentum to roll with him to the side, slamming him to the ground.

Black Shadow was only fazed for a minute and swung out with his knife, carving a gash in Axel's leg. He flinched from the pain but quickly leapt away to avoid the inevitable second strike.

Limping, Axel held up his arms defensively and stepped to put himself between Shadow and Shego. He picked up a pair of tongs and a metal bowl and hoped they'd give him some greater defense against his enemy.

-(KP)-

"What is going on?" asked Kim as she held her stomach.

"That guy is trying to _kill us_," yelled Celeste.

"What?" asked Kim. She looked up at Black Shadow and saw him quickly approaching a retreating Axel, holding a large knife in one hand and long black rod in the other. She noticed that Axel was bleeding heavily from his thigh.

"I thought he was a good guy!" said Kim.

"Well, he's not very tolerant of bad guys then," said Shego as she leapt back to her feet. "Look, this is... this is all my damn fault. Get out of the way. I'm the only one who can go toe to toe with him right now."

"Are you crazy?" asked Ken. "We're all here. We can help."

"And you'll ALL get killed by this lunatic," said Shego. "While I'm still young, I can hold him back. Just get out of here."

"No way," said Celeste.

"Your funeral," said Shego. She glanced at Ken, but only for a second before she began to feel uncomfortable. "Princess." She looked towards her teen rival. "Get the girl out of here."

"Girl?" asked Kim. Her eyes widened. "You have Bonnie?"

"Is that her name?" asked Shego. She shook her head. "This really, really turned into a lousy day."

The loud thud of a missed strike caught Shego's attention again and she saw Axel barely dodge the path of the Shadow's baton.

"No time!" she yelled before running in. Celeste followed quickly behind, leaping off a nearby table to try and land a kick on the Shadow's head. She missed and got his shoulder and he barely faltered before taking as swing at Shego and kicking Axel to the side.

"We can't let him kill her," said Ken.

"I know!" said Kim. "Yori, find Ron, and get Bonnie out of here. We'll deal with this."

Yori shook her head. "We stand the best chance together."

Kim sighed. "Sorry about this." She turned on her foot and ran toward Shadow. "Hey! Big man! Back down already, I've got this under control!"

-(KP)-

Zita chewed on her nails while Felix and Malcolm watched the tunnel into the sewers closely. Kim, Ken, Ron, and Yori had vanished into them almost fifteen minutes ago and there had been no word since. No calls, no sounds to indicate victory or defeat, just silence and the slowly billowing white smoke.

"How long do we wait here?" asked Malcolm. "Shouldn't we get someone? Police? Army?"

"Kim told us to wait," said Felix.

"We can't wait forever," Zita chimed in. "And Malcolm's right, we should at least be telling the missing persons team working with the Rockwallers that we have a lead."

"It's only been fifteen minutes," said Felix. "We should at least give her twenty-two before we start to panic."

"Felix!" said Zita. "This isn't a game."

"And I know Kim! I've seen her do this several times before," said Felix. "We've got to trust her. Last time we went rushing in, I ended up kidnapped and you two were nearly killed in a fire."

"It wasn't that close," said Malcolm. "To burning, I mean."

"It just doesn't feel like we're part of the team," said Zita. "If we're all Team Possible now, then we should all be in there!"

"And all getting in the way," said Felix. "We're not all fighters."

"Well, I'm not a sit and wait kind of girl," said Zita. She shook her head and abandoned her pacing to head directly for the mouth of the sewer.

"Wait, Zita!" called Felix.

Zita stopped in her tracks, and stood still for a moment. Then she ran quickly into the sewer.

"Aw, man," said Felix.

"Malcolm! Give me a hand!" Zita suddenly called from inside.

"What?" asked Malcolm. He ran over to the sewer tunnel and peered in. "Oh!" he said as he saw Zita and Ron awkwardly carrying an elderly woman. He stepped into the tunnel and reached out to help lift her.

The four emerged back onto the platform where Felix was waiting, staring wide-eyed at the procession. He quickly opened a panel on his wheelchair and pulled out a small thermal blanket and threw it onto the ground.

"Who is this?" asked Malcolm as they got back out into open air.

"Bonnie," said Ron with a grunt.

"What?" Malcolm said. He stared at the woman, who was barely conscious, and appeared to be, conservatively, over seventy years old.

"DNAmy was doing some sort of experiment on her," said Ron as they brought Bonnie over to the blanket. They three of them gently laid her down on the slightly softened surface.

"She can do this?" asked Felix.

"Apparently," said Ron. "You should call ... er..." he trailed off.

"Nobody is going to believe this," said Zita quietly. "Should we call Global Justice?"

Ron furrowed his brow while he tried to think of someone who could help them, that had an open mind, but wasn't Global Justice, since Kim wanted to avoid them if possible. "Call Mrs. Dr. P," he said after a moment. "And Dr. Rick."

Felix stared. "Dr. Rick... our teacher?"

"He helped us with the Mantle of Tenoch," said Ron. "He's at least not a stranger to bizzaro things happening." He nodded and then turned to head back into the sewers.

"Where are you going?" asked Malcolm.

"To help Kim," he said as he began to run. "She's still in trouble!"

-(KP)-

Kim clutched her arm where the slight cut was bleeding as she jumped to the side. Apparently negotiation was not going to be an option with Black Shadow.

"I warned you, Princess," said Shego. Then a moment later she was twisting and spinning to avoid a flurry of Shadow's blows. Kim was stunned at how fast her reflexes were. Shego seemed above and beyond her normal A-game into something truly befitting a superhero for a change. Even when she stole her brothers' powers, she wasn't this fast or strong.

A coordinated kick from Ken and Yori threw the balance off of Shadow after he missed Shego. Celeste took advantage of the opening to kick him in the chin. Shadow staggered back a step and then quickly took up a new offensive posture with his knife. They had managed to get the baton away from the unstoppable man, but the knife was still safely in his fist.

Kim took a moment to check on Axel, who had jumped in front of a series of blows intended for Shego and was now lying in a crumpled heap on the floor behind them. The former biker was alive, but breathing shallow. Kim worried that he'd need medical attention soon.

Ken grunted as he took a glancing blow to the cheek, and tried to shake the stars out of his vision before pressing another attack. He and Shego kept trying to take the offensive against Shadow, while Celeste, Yori, and Kim were playing defensively, hoping to provide suitable distractions.

Despite their easily greater numbers, somehow Shadow kept finding ways of turning the fight around. Part of the problem was that none of the people present were used to fighting beside each other so they kept getting in the way of each others' attacks. But the bigger issue was that Shadow was clearly stronger, quicker, and more persistent than any human had a right to be.

Shego flipped over an attack Ken was trying to initiate and then dodged around Shadow's strike towards Celeste in order to position herself beside the monster and deliver three punches into his midsection. As usual, he barely flinched and simply turned his attention back onto Shego and tried to kick out her legs.

"Doesn't this guy ever get tired?" asked Ken as he tried to avoid the kicks and jabs that came his way once Shadow turned away from Shego.

"I haven't seen it happe—" started Celeste before she finally caught Shadow's fist into her ribs. "Yeeackkk!" She gurgled once and hit the ground hard, not far from Axel.

"Bella!" yelled Shego when she saw.

"We must press the attack," said Yori. "He will outlast us at this rate."

Kim nodded silently in response. Yori was right, they weren't going to be able to win on a defensive game and they were just getting taken down one at a time. Kim lifted her arm to check the wound. She winced slightly but her range of motion wasn't terribly affected. She filed that back in her mind and prepared to attack. She watched Shego and Ken dance around Shadow, studying the exchanges, looking for her opening.

When Ken slipped on a piece of broken glass, Shadow came around for the advantage, and Kim and Yori made their move.

-(KP)-

"No, no you can't DO this!" yelled Wade. He was shouting and jumping up and down in his circle of light to very little effect. "That's Kim Possible! A good guy. Not evil! You can't fight her!"

The voice in the room was slow in responding, with all his attention on the fight, there seemed little available for extra processing." She is protecting criminals. She is facilitating evil. Therefore, she is evil."

"She's just trying to protect her from _you_," insisted Wade. "Please! You have to stop this. Talk to them!"

"We cannot associate with criminals," said Shadow.

"They are not all criminals!"

"We cannot let criminals escape," said Shadow.

"Then don't, but you can't kill them!"

"Kim Possible is allowing criminals to escape. We cannot allow this. Kim Possible is a criminal."

"No. She. Is. Not!" yelled Wade. "You've lost yourself! You don't understand what it means to be evil or good. You're fighting the wrong people!"

"Criminals will be punished."

-(KP)-

Shego could feel even her enhanced speed and strength starting to falter, and she was well aware that Black Shadow wasn't demonstrating any similar fatigue. She wondered if they could run, but the distance between here and her jet was considerable. Shadow would undoubtedly catch up way before they got there. Not to mention they'd have to abandon Axel.

"Yaahh!" came a cry as Ron Stoppable arrived and joined in on one of Kim' assaults. His motions were smooth and deliberate but were far from able to turn aside the tide on his own. He did give her a moment's reprieve to catch her breath, at least, before she side stepped to get ready to launch another attack. It was five on one, right now, and that one was winning.

Bracing herself against a pair of upturned tables, Shego barreled herself into the chest of Black Shadow to try and push the fight away from the slowly moving forms of Axel and Celeste. With all of them fighting offensively, they had slightly more control over the direction of the fight, if not the result, and Shego was able to push him back into the corner of the room where the bed of that poor girl once was.

Shego tried not to think about it. She didn't want to reflect on any hand she might have had in that girl's situation. DNAmy was the lunatic, not her. She didn't want that to happen to anyone. She _knew_ what it was like to be old before her time now and she wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Shego tried not to think about how she didn't even know the girl's name until Kim showed up. Some teenager, probably no older than Kim herself, tortured by the mad scientist she employed, _she_ directed.

She unsuccessfully tried not to think about what Celeste and Axel might be thinking about her. She didn't _want_ the girl to end up like that, but since she already was, she only hesitated giving back DNAmy's drug because she knew it wouldn't do anything for the girl. Besides, she might have needed the edge some day. Like right now. Black Shadow was nearly unstoppable, and they'd all be a bloody mess on the floor if she hadn't made herself young.

And then there was Ken. Shego definitely didn't want to think about why Ken was doing here. Didn't she leave him in another world? How did he get to this one? She never expected to run into anyone from that crazy two year trip again. Certainly never expected to run into the one guy who—

Shego was spending so much time not thinking about things, she was inadvertently not thinking very much about the fight and received a straight punch to the head from Black Shadow for her distractions. She saw stars and hit the ground like a load of bricks.

-(KP)-

Of all the people in the fight, Ken was finding it easiest to work with Yori, surprisingly. Ken was older than his counterpart, he knew that, and he knew that she was younger and thus more inexperienced, but he assumed that when they were in battle, they would largely think the same way. They were, after all, pretty much the same person.

But Kim was erratic in ways that Ken ever remembered himself being and was finding hard to compensate for. Ron, for his part, was slipping back and forth between different fighting styles so quickly Ken couldn't keep up. He was shocked that Kim's sidekick was so capable in a fight, he wondered how it was they ever had a hard time with the likes of Drakken or Monkey Fist.

But Yori was the real surprise because she was methodical and tactical. She acted with restraint, using some of the same techniques as Ron but with better skill and more deliberate action. Ken could see the plan behind her moves and tried to angle himself to match. She was making quick jabs to lead up to a series of stronger kicks and flips to keep Shadow unbalanced and, hopefully, topple him. Ken could work with that, and supported her quick feints by following up with obvious strong strikes that Shadow would have to block and therefore couldn't pursue Yori.

The unspoken plan was working so well, that it completely didn't occur to Ken that Shadow might be able to see the strategy as well. So when his obvious swing connected with Shadow's ribs, he was shocked instead of pleased, and Shadow's lunge to grab Yori during her retreat went through unhindered.

With a twist of his wrist, Shadow pulled Yori off her feet and swung her into Ken sending both flying across the room.

-(KP)-

When it was down to just Kim and Ron against Shadow, the first indication of fatigue began to show on the vigilante. Kim and Ron were breathing heavily as they backed up at pace to match Shadow's lumbering advance. They could see now that Shadow was bleeding in places, and that he was also slightly out of breath. But they could also see he had no intention of ever stopping. No fatigue would be enough until he was on the ground.

Kim knew that they couldn't win, not against an automaton with no concept of retreat. And it was obvious retreat was not an option. Shadow's lethality towards Shego earlier made it clear that if Ron and Kim weren't there, the man in black would finish them off without a second thought. Kim wouldn't abide murder, so she couldn't retreat.

Which mean they were all dead. If they couldn't win, and couldn't retreat, it was just a countdown now. Eventually she and Ron would fall. It was inevitable.

"You can still run," said Ron before Kim could speak.

"You won't stand up to him any longer than me," said Kim.

"I can buy you time to get the others out," said Ron.

Kim shook her head. "Not enough."

Ron grimaced when he felt a table at his back. Momentarily channeling Yori through the dream, he backflipped over the table and landed on his feet behind it. Kim made a quarter turn and kicked her feet over to land beside him and they continued backing up. When Shadow got to the table, he simply shoved it violently aside.

"We can't lose here," said Ron. "I don't think he's taking prisoners."

Kim nodded. She knew. They couldn't lose. But they also couldn't win. Still, it did no good to think that way.

"Then I guess we gotta win," she said, in defiance of her logic.

Ron grinned, looking slightly towards Kim. "I guess so."

Kim made a partial smile. Yeah, this was how she wanted to go out.

"Let's go," said Kim, and then moved forward towards the left for a swing-kick. Ron mirrored her moves to the right, hoping to pincer Shadow and get at least one of them through.

Kim planted her foot for the swing and began kicking her leg up towards Shadow's head. Ron spun around back to launch himself off a chair to do a drop kick at the same time.

But Shadow could still move faster than any human. He twisted and swept his leg out towards Kim's planted foot at the same time as he reached toward Ron's approaching kick. In a fluid movement, he overturned Kim's stance while grabbing Ron's leg and used the latter as a bludgeon against the former.

Kim felt something wet splash against her face as her head collided with Ron's and the both landed on a pile of wrecked medical equipment. Her vision blurred and she felt too dizzy to even try to get up onto her hands and knees. She only barely could see Ron lying beside her, something red covering his shirt.

With effort, she turned her head to look up at Shadow, looming large on top of her. He pulled out his knife again, brandished it simply, and then lifted it over her.

Kim reactively threw her arms up to guard against the descending knife but she knew it was futile. For the monster who crushed steel tables in his hands, her forearms would be torn through like tissue paper. Kim prayed it wouldn't hurt too much.

And then... nothing happened.

Kim felt like she was trapped in limbo for a second, on the edge of a death that was perpetually coming. But there was no fog, no darkness, no strange transition metaphors. She hesitatingly lowered her arms and looked back up at Shadow.

He was still there, his knife inches from where her arms were, gripped tightly, but with a shaking arm. The body was ridged, save for a shimmer under the black mask that covered Shadow's face. Somehow, he had stopped, mid-swing, and was stuck.

-(KP)-

Shadow had never screamed before. "YOU WILL ASSIST!"

Wade was sweating, shaking violently, but he held his hand out against the incredible pressure coming down on him from the darkness. The spotlight had narrowed to a single point of light directly on his forehead, the effort of Shadow to snuff him out entirely.

But Wade refused. He would put up with it no longer.

"No!" yelled Wade as he held his ground. The darkness around him surged forward again but he kept his stance, his force of will, held as a blade against it. "You were created to be _my_ servant. To be _my_ savior. I will not let you corrupt that anymore."

"You will assist!"

"You will be quiet!" snapped Wade as Shadow tried to override his control once more. "Your job is to assist _me_. Killing Kim will not assist me. And I will not assist you in hurting anyone else."

"You are too weak to do this," said Shadow. "You could not carry out your own directive. I needed to carry it out for you. I am assisting your directive. Evil will be punished!"

Wade breathed steadily and grinned. "I was wrong. I was wrong about that directive. I was hurt, and angry, and I believe I have paid the price for my arrogance through and through."

"You will assist!"

"No, Shadow," said Wade. "This is my body you've hijacked. And you're going to play by my rules."

-(KP)-

The knife dropped onto the ground with a clang beside Kim as the frozen Shadow backed one step off, then a second.

"Gggrrrrr," growled Shadow as Kim watched.

"Wha..." Kim started but couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"Gggggooo," Shadow said in a deep voice. "Go."

"You're letting me go?" asked Kim.

"Go," said Shadow, louder but apparently with great strain. "Go now."

"I'm not leaving them to you," said Kim, slowly coming back to her feet. Ron was starting to stir beside her and she could hear the irregular steps of Yori and Ken limping their way back to her. "We all go."

"Go!" shouted Shadow. "I. I... I cannot hold him for long."

"Hold who?" asked Ken as they approached.

Shadow's hand twitched violently again and it reached up slowly towards his head. With a jerking motion, he grabbed the bottom of his mask and began pulling it upwards, revealing an angular but familiar face.

Kim gasped. "Wade!" she said.

Wade looked down at her, his face showing strain across it as he talked. "K-Kim," he stutteringly said. "I will... get him... under control."

"You're the Black Shadow?" said Kim.

"I made... a mistake," said Wade. "I'm... sorry."

"How can we help?" asked Ken.

"Go," said Wade again. "I will ... find a way to ... control him. But... you must leave. I ... don't want ... to risk you getting hurt again."

"Wade," said Kim, frowning. She felt her eyes welling up. "Why did you do this?"

"I ... was stupid," said Wade, and he struggle to form a candid smile. He grunted slightly the effort.

Ron groaned as he clutched his head to try and stand. Yori quickly moved to him and helped him to his feet. "Wade, buddy," he started.

"I can't keep this up," Wade interrupted. "He's ... violent, out of control... but I can try to dismantle him. You have to be gone... when I let go."

"Who is he?" asked Ken.

"Nano-machines," said Wade. "Injected into my body. Collective intelligence. Evolved faster... than I expected." He made a fist with his hand and then slowly relaxed it. "Please, go!"

"Come on," Ken said softly to Kim, pulling on her arm. Her feet dragged against the debris on the floor.

"Wade," said Kim, her eyes full of tears.

"It will ... be alright," said Wade. "I'll ... get control again. Just go."

Kim nodded, then looked over to where Shego, Celeste and Axel were laying before. They were gone. She blinked in surprise.

Ken pulled her again and she finally turned away. They walked through the wreckage of the lab towards the door.

-(KP)-

When Ken, Kim, Ron, and Yori emerged from the sewers again, they found Zita pacing around Felix and Malcolm on the concrete platform. Shego's jet was gone, and on the ridge towards the city an ambulance and several police cars were there with their lights on.

"Thank goodness," Zita sighed as she rushed up to them. "You're all right."

"Well, a little worse for wear," Ron said. He was holding a scrap of his shirt against the bleeding side of his head.

"What happened to Shego?" asked Ken.

"She came through with two others a few minutes ago," said Felix. "She looked like hell, but we couldn't stop her from taking off." He moved forward and held out a bottle to Kim. "She gave me this though."

Kim took the bottle and looked at it. It was an unmarked medicine bottle with a rubber top. "What is it?"

"She said it's what she used to be young again," Felix explained. "She said it's the last dose and that we could use it on Bonnie."

"_IF_ you believe that," said Zita.

"She also said it's only temporary," added Malcolm. "Would last twelve hours at most."

"Where did she go, then?" asked Ken.

Felix shrugged. "She didn't say. We weren't in a position to really force her to tell us."

Kim nodded. "And Bonnie?"

"She's not good," came a voice from on the ridge. Kim turned to see their teacher, Dr. Rick Vedas, slowly walking down the slope to the platform they were standing on.

"Dr. Rick?" asked Kim.

"I told them to call him," said Ron. "I thought he might be able to help."

Rick nodded. He looked deeply concerned as he stared at the battered and bruised Team Possible. "She's not in a very good state. It's only been a handful of hours but in that time she's been abused in a way most people probably can't even comprehend." He sighed and ran his hand through his thick brown hair. "She's going to need some serious time to come to grips with this. I'll do what I can to get her help. She's surprisingly strong willed, though."

"You all, however," Rick continued. "Should probably go with her to the hospital. Certainly you, Ron."

Ron nodded. He wasn't going to protest that at all.

-(KP)-

The sun dawned after the longest day in Bonnie's life and she found herself lying in a white hospital room. She breathed slowly and squinted slightly to try and make out some of the detail on the ceiling tiles to no avail. She was going to need glasses. Glasses were so _lame_.

She slowly blinked and looked around, not focusing on anything – she barely could - just giving herself something to do as she thought about her situation. What was she now? Eighteen? Eighty-one? A zombie? Dead? Did any of those things matter?

"Hey."

The voice was surprising, but Bonnie barely stirred. It was too much effort to move around quickly, she realized. She turned her head slightly and tried to focus on the figure next to her. She expected her father, maybe her mother, certainly not her sisters. She hoped it wouldn't Kim Possible or one of her loser crew. Who it actually was, though, never entered her mind.

"Dr. Rick," croaked Bonnie.

"Good morning," he said softly. He smiled warmly at her and put his hand on top of one of hers. Her old, bony, rough skinned hands. "Did you sleep alright?"

Bonnie slowly nodded. She couldn't figure out why her teacher, of all people, was sitting here beside her hospital bed on a Monday morning. Didn't he have classes to teach?

"What are you..." Bonnie trailed off and took another breath, "...doing here?"

"I'm here to see you," said Rick. "I care for my students."

"I'm fine," said Bonnie, which was probably the biggest lie in her life. "Go away."

"I will," he said kindly. "But I wanted to talk to you about what happens next."

"Next?" asked Bonnie as her breathing sped up. "_Next_? I'm stuck like this! I heard the talking last night. I'm a geezer. On my last legs. _Hideous_!" She began coughing violently causing the bed to creak and sway under her motions. Rick reached out a hand to help her sit up but she slapped it away.

She grabbed a pitcher of water on a wheeled table beside her and messily drank some of it down. Once she'd calmed her coughing fit she looked at the splashes of water on her gown and the bed. "Look at me? I'm the loser now. The joke. My life is over!" She collapsed back into the bed and began to cry.

"It doesn't have to be," said Rick softly. "Even if you embrace this change, you could still do a lot of things with the time you have left."

"Go to hell," sputtered Bonnie. She wanted to spit, but she was afraid she would screw it up and cause more choking.

"There are other options though," said Rick carefully.

"What? Die?" asked Bonnie, cynically.

"You know that strange things happen in Middleton sometimes," said Rick. "Things that seem impossible and yet they _still_ occur."

"Yeah, like getting really old overnight," said Bonnie.

"And getting really young," said Rick.

Bonnie's eyes widened and she sat up again. "There's... a way to fix this?"

Rick's expression seemed grim. "It's not an easy way out, and it will take some time. But if you're willing to try, there are ways to make you younger."

Bonnie looked pleadingly up at her teacher. "Don't joke with me," she said.

"I'm not. But there are conditions," said Rick. "Not the least of which is that you cannot talk about it with anyone. If I help you, I will be exposing you to a world that most people never see, and _can_ never see, for their own safety."

Bonnie frowned. "What are you _talking_ about?"

Rick took his hand and held it out in front of Bonnie. "The real world is only the surface layer in the vast onion that makes up existence." He turned his hand and articulated his fingers as if he were gripping something invisible in his palm. "Those who understand that can find ways of poking through the veil that hides the inner layers." A green mote of light coalesced within his hand and hovered between his thumb and forefinger. "And make things happen."

Bonnie stared, her mouth agape.

Rick closed his hand over the light and it quickly vanished. "But knowledge is power, Bonnie. And those who learn things they shouldn't without understanding them can easily destroy themselves and those around them. So it must be secret, for all our sake."

He put his hand down and looked into Bonnie's eyes.

"Can you keep such a secret, Bonnie Rockwaller?"

-(KP)-

Rick closed the door behind him as he quietly snuck out of Bonnie's room.

"What are you doing, Richard?"

Rick spun on his foot and saw Dr. Director standing there, in plain clothes, leaning against the opposite wall.

"Betty," said Rick, surprised.

"Are you doing things you shouldn't?" pressed Dr. Director.

Rick folded his arms and looked at her evenly. "I help the people I can."

"Your help isn't always as helpful as you intend," said Dr. Director.

"Hmph." Rick shook his head. "I believe it was you who asked me to help this new generation get on their feet again."

"I asked you to watch over Kim Possible," said Dr. Director. "Who I happened to notice ended up quite beaten up last night."

"I can't fight her fights for her," said Rick. "I can't even show her I'm helping unless she asks, so there are limits to what I can do. You don't want me to be her mentor, you made that clear, so she's going to have to fight her own battles."

"And Ms. Rockwaller?" asked Dr. Director.

"She needs help that not even Kim and her circle can provide," said Rick. "The people I know can help her, if I let her see behind the veil."

Dr. Director briefly looked angry but then calmed and turned to start walking down the hallway. Rick moved to stay with her.

"You once warned me to stay away from magic," said Dr. Director. "I followed your advice. But this girl is different for some reason?"

"She will die like this, Betty," said Rick. "Either from depression or worse."

"Old age is not 'worse'," said Dr. Director. "We could track down DNAmy. Someone that reckless has to show up sooner or later."

"From what I understand, even Amy doesn't know what to do to fix Bonnie," said Rick. "And she doesn't have the time. She needs the hope now, not tomorrow or next week."

"I just hope you know what you're getting into," said Dr. Director. She sighed. "Sometimes we have to put our best in harms way, or risk stifling them." She frowned and looked at the floor.

"Betty, why are you here?" asked Rick. "Checking up on me and Kim?"

"No," said Dr. Director. "I'm here for a separate reason. It's a coincidence Kim arrived last night."

"Why then?" pressed Rick. "You look sort of beaten up yourself."

Dr. Director stopped and looked unhappily up at Rick. "If you must know, I lost one of my very best agents last night. And today I have to send Cartwright away."

Rick put his hand on Dr. Director's shoulder softly. "I'm sorry. I know you love your agents."

"They are very important to me," said Dr. Director. "Which is why I don't like seeing them... or any young potential, put at risk."

"I'm going to keep Bonnie safe, that's what this is about," said Rick. "I can't be a hero to everyone anymore, but if someone falls into my lap, I have to do something."

Dr. Director nodded. "Just be careful." She turned and started walking away.

"Who was it?" asked Rick. "The agent?"

Dr. Director hesitated. "Agent Will Du. He was badly hurt in the bombing last year, and had been fighting a losing battle ever since. He finally succumbed last night." She looked down. "He was a good man. He doesn't deserve this."

Rick shook his head. "What a waste."

Dr. Director looked back for a second, but said nothing. Then she continued down the hall.

-(KP)-

Kim found Ken sitting on the back porch of her house, staring out at the rising sun with a heavy look of despair. Since she and Ron were diagnosed with concussions, they were kept overnight for observation but Yori and Ken were allowed to return home after only a few hours. Ken hadn't looked too happy at the hospital, and now that Kim had found him at home he looked even worse.

"Didn't get much sleep last night, huh?" asked Kim.

Ken looked up at her slowly and nodded. Kim slowly sat down next to him. "With as many sensors and straps on me, I can't say I did much better in the hospital bed. Add to that visits from the police, my parents – who I imagine were no kinder on you than they were on me – and hourly doctor checkups, I don't believe it when anyone says they sleep in a hospital.

A small movement around his mouth in the direction of a smile was the only reaction Ken made to her statement.

"You're thinking about her?" asked Kim, quietly.

Ken nodded. "I've been looking for her for so long. I ..."

"Didn't get what you wanted?" said Kim.

"Not at all," said Ken. "We didn't even have time to talk and then she was just... gone again."

"She couldn't hang around. You know she'd be arrested," said Kim. "I'd have done it myself if I was in better shape. We know she was involved in what happened to Bonnie, even if we don't know how much."

"She tried to protect us," said Ken quickly. "She was going to fight Black Shadow on her own to let us escape."

Kim nodded. "I know," she said.

"I just don't get it," said Ken, exasperated. "How could she do _both_ those things? How could she let a girl go though... that, and yet still try to protect us?"

Kim patted him on the back. "I know," she said. "I don't understand it either. I don't get why she ran from the hospital. Why didn't she let me help her when she woke up? I've tried, several times now, to get her to listen." She sighed. "We might just have to accept that she'll always be trying to get an advantage over us."

"She's not—" Ken started but forcibly stopped himself. "It's not that simple. She's... kind. She _can_ be. You don't know what it was like in my world. She... she was helpful. We fought side by side for months. We saved people, lots of people. We took down my version of Drakken together."

"She joined you?" asked Kim, surprised. "Then what did she steal?"

"She didn't..." Ken started. "It's just a... She didn't steal anything, Kim. She left when I asked her to stay. I didn't just want her to work with me, I ... I asked her to stay f-for good."

"For good?" asked Kim. "Stay in your world?"

Ken looked at Kim with an inscrutable expression. "I asked her to stay with _me_. I followed her here because I'm in love with her, Kim."

Kim stared, wide eyed, at her counterpart. "_Love_ her?"

Ken looked away. "But I don't know who that was last night. That wasn't the person I followed." He sighed.

Kim opened and closed her mouth several times in an effort to come up with something to say. Eventually she just leaned against Ken and put her arm around him, patting him on the shoulder.

"Hey... we found Wade," said Kim, trying to smile. "Sorta, I guess. We'll find your Shego too. You can stay as long as it takes."

Ken stared ahead at the sun as it slowly rose higher in the sky.

-(KP)-

Shego studied her hands in the dawning light. They were the first to change, she realized over the last day and a half. And after last night they were the first to turn black and blue from the bruising she'd subjected them to. Now they were almost back to her 'normal', the old, frail skeletons stretched over with skin. Weak.

And yet, she was finding it harder and harder to regret giving away the last bottle of DNAmy's drug to Kim Possible. Oh, she missed the youth, but she couldn't shake the image of that girl, looking older than Shego did now, horrified at what had been done to her. Every time she even considered chasing after her actual age that image would snap back into focus and it would make her stomach turn.

And now there was another image there. A brief, but still intense one. The image of Ken Possible looking at her like he was disgusted. She wanted to be outraged. She was so used to turning around people's comments so they weren't her fault. She wanted to ask what right did Ken have to look at her like that, when he persistently refused to accept what she was. Refused to acknowledge that she was a villain in her home world. Refused to believe her when she said she wasn't worth his affection.

She shook her head free of the memory.

"Hey, boss," said Celeste, stepping onto the balcony behind her. Celeste had managed to get through last night without looking too terrible. Maybe she was quicker on her feet than Shego had remembered from her childhood? Then again she was wearing long sleeves in a tropical environment, and using an awful lot of makeup on one side of her face.

"How's Axel?" asked Shego.

"He'll be all right," nodded Celeste. She moved to lean on the railing next to Shego. "He's part biker, after all. He has a solid noggin." She studied her employer's face. "You're almost back to normal again."

"Yeah," grumbled Shego. "_'Normal_.'"

"It's a good thing, what you did," said Celeste softly. "For that girl."

"I ruined her life," said Shego.

"No, you didn't," said Celeste. "DNAmy did that. And while she may be adept at shifting blame off her shoulders, you had no idea what she was doing. So don't feel too responsible."

"If I hadn't pushed her," started Shego.

"Those are her words, not yours. I don't disagree you need to throttle back your obsession with getting young again, but what DNAmy did was beyond the pale. She has no idea of the value of human life." Celeste smiled. "You clearly do. You gave up that bottle to the girl. With luck, her doctors – _real_ doctors – will be able to figure out how it works and make it permanent."

Shego stared off towards the rising sun. "But she'll never forget it. She'll carry that trauma until the day she dies."

"Nothing you can do about that," said Celeste. "Can't undo what was done to her. Just do you best to keep it from happening again."

"I'm not a hero," said Shego.

Celeste smiled. "You don't have to be a hero to be heroic."

"It's not really my style," replied Shego, looking down the side of the building.

"I think you might be surprised," said Celeste. She patted Shego on the back and then turned to head back inside.

-(KP)-

The blazing white gleam of the pathway through the dreamscape was blinding, and Rick put his hand up to his eyes to block the glow. It had been a long time since he'd been here and he'd forgotten the various idiosyncrasies of this place. The walkway, the floating dreams, the Dreamtime Kingdom shining like the damn sun at times. He sighed.

With a flourish of his hand he materialized a tall brass staff with a hideously large garnet on top and a series of blocky protrusions at the bottom that gave it the appearance of a giant skeleton key. He hadn't been in the dreamscape in years, but it'd been ages since he'd brandished this artifact. It was the tool of his former trade, before he'd been exiled from his home.

Rick moved his outstretched finger in a pattern that used to be second nature for him, leaving behind a green trail that formed a runic character. The more he wrote, the more the garnet atop his staff began to glow, until the entire sigil was complete. Then the garnet flashed white once and the green symbol dissolved.

There was near silence in the dreamscape for several minutes and Rick bided his time studying the softly humming orbs as they drifted past, examining the dreams they showed. Eventually a squawk heralded the arrival of three owls from the Dreamtime Kingdom that fluttered about his head. They were each colored differently, one mostly white, one mostly brown, the other with a touch of blonde.

"_Vedas_," said the white owl in disgust.

"How dare you summon us?" said the brown one.

"We are not your servants!" said the blonde.

Dr. Rick grinned. "No, you're _her_ servants. And I need to speak to her."

"The Dimensional Witch is busy with the war," said the brown owl.

"There is important work to be done," said the blonde.

"She does not have time for you," spat the white colored one.

"How charming," said Rick in a condescending tone. The lies of these three sisters came flowed quicker than blood from their wounds. "Tell her I want to talk anyway. Let _her_ decide whether I'm worth her time."

The three birds screeched loudly and then flew away back into the Dreamtime Kingdom. It was only minutes later that there was a bright flash and then he saw a female figure walking up the glowing path coming from the orb that housed the Kingdom. She had long brown hair, and was wearing a white blouse under a knitted vest and with a dark brown skirt that went down to her black boots. She looked at him with kind green eyes.

"Richard," said the woman with a smile as she approached. "It's been a while."

Rick stepped forward to hug the woman tightly. "It has been too long, Aurora," he sighed.

After a moment Aurora pulled slightly away. "Richard, this isn't a booty call, is it?"

Rick released her and stepped back with an embarrassed look. "No. Sorry." He looked around. "I _do_ miss you, my dear, but I know you have pressing matters."

She looked surprised. "Is that why you haven't been trying to call me? You think I'm too busy for you?"

"You are, aren't you?" said Rick, without anger. "I never had your role, but the Quintessence used to keep me quite busy. You know, before I pissed them all off."

"Yeah," said Aurora with a knowing grin. She looked at Rick's staff and tapped it with her finger. "You are quite good at that." She shook her head. "But, I'm never too busy to come when you need me." She reached up and kindly touched Rick's cheek.

Rick reached up and put his hand over Aurora's and nodded slowly. After a moment his expression changed to one of concern. "I need your help with something, in this world."

"What can I do?" asked Aurora, lowering her hand.

"There's a girl who has been ... disadvantaged. I want to show her the Path."

Aurora frowned. "Is that wise?"

"I don't have the ability anymore to fix what's wrong with her," admitted Rick. "She has been forcibly aged to about seventy-five. Her natural age is eighteen."

"Oh my," said Aurora, covering her mouth with her hand. "Such a young age."

"You were younger," said Rick.

"I'm special in a lot of ways, dear," said Aurora. "When you first met me I had already been a witch for eight years." She looked absently down for a moment. "You want to teach her how to fix herself?"

"She has the potential," said Rick. "Force of will, adequate ability that can be trained. And it will reinforce the need for secrecy with her, more than any witch simply telling her will do. I just don't have a grimoire anymore and was hoping you could create one for me."

"Hmm," mused Aurora. "I might be able to make something. I assume that the 'Tome' is not found on this world?"

"No," Rick shook his head. "I'd know if it was. I don't think anyone is even looking, actually, which is a good thing. Those artifacts are too powerful."

"If I give you a grimore, it will carry my crest," said Aurora. "It, too, will be powerful."

"I'll keep it safe," said Rick. "Safer than the Mantle anyway."

"Oh! That reminds me," said Aurora, suddenly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out an old looking, leather bound notebook, worn through ages of use. She opened it quickly and pulled out a photograph. "I want you to keep an eye out for this boy. I think he's in a little danger."

Rick took the photograph and stared. "I... I know this boy."

"You do? Great!" Aurora clasped her hands together. "Keep a watch, then. In case anyone in the dream gets too curious."

"He's a dream mage?" asked Rick.

"Indeed," nodded Aurora. "But don't interfere right now, just watch. If it's nothing, I don't want him to get tangled up in our work. I'm advocating the Quintessence to keep stricter barriers between the dream mages and those who walk the Path."

"Hmm, yeah, I can see why that might be helpful," said Rick. "Considering the TDF."

"Ugh! I don't want to talk about them," Aurora said frankly.

Rick smiled. "I don't envy you."

Aurora looked at him. "Not anymore, you mean."

"Hey, that was almost two hundred years ago!" Rick said. "When do I get a reprieve?"

"Maybe when you remember to call regularly," said Aurora. She tapped his cheek playfully. "I'll send you your book. Keep an eye on that dream mage, please."

"Aye, aye, sir," said Rick.

Aurora winked at him and then turned to head back into the Dreamtime Kingdom. Rick shook his head with a smile and then faded back into his dream.

-(KP)-

Once the two visitors were gone from the dreamscape, the staircase in the path re-appeared and Amanda Veers stepped up onto the glowing walkway. She looked contemplative in the direction of the Dreamtime Kingdom.

"Ah, my dearest Aurora Sayer," she said with a broad smile. "I'm not done with you yet."

*** End Episode 4


	10. Episode 5: The Scheme for the Book

_Merry Christmas 2012! (Someday I'll find a way to post these more frequently than once a year.)_

_**The story so far:**_

_Six months ago, Drakken was kidnapped by Gemini for his help in obtaining a mystic artifact called the Mantle of Tenoch. Together, they bombed Global Justice headquarters to create a distraction big enough to steal the Mantle. Drakken's mother, Andy Lipsky, solicited the help of Shego and Team Possible to find and rescue her son. In the process, Kim was shot, and Shego fell into a coma where Andy Lipsky stole her youth to return to being Atomic Andy, the supervillain she was back in the sixties. Ron, in shock from watching Kim get shot, fled to Yamanouchi where he was trained by Master Sensei on using his Mystical Monkey Power to visit the dreams of others._

_One month ago, Yamanouchi was attacked by a group called the Shade and Ron and Yori returned to Middleton to hide. At the same time Shego woke up, realized she now appeared to be about seventy years old, and returned to crime, employing the aid of DNAmy to find a way to restore her youth. In the process, DNAmy kidnapped Bonnie Rockwaller to experiment on, causing Bonnie to rapidly age before she was rescued by the new Team Possible, which includes Felix Renton, Zita Flores, and Ken Possible, a visitor from another dimension who is Kim's copy except he's male and five years older._

_Bonnie has been taken in by Dr. Rick, a new teacher at Middleton who is clearly older than he looks, to teach her magick so that she might reverse the aging she's suffered. Rick has previously worked with Dr. Director at Global Justice back in the seventies and has agreed to keep an eye out for Kim Possible ever since the start of the school year. Dr. Director herself has been worse for wear since the bombing and has just informed Dr. Rick that one of her top agents, Will Du, has just been declared dead._

_(For the full story, read __**Disappearing Doctor**__ and the previous episodes of this tale.)_

**Episode 5**

_**FIVE MONTHS AGO.**_

Will Du heard wheezing, constant wheezing in his ears. He wasn't sure what was causing it or even where he was but the sound was ever present, along with soft tones in constant patterns and the sound of something scraping lightly against paper. It was a cacophony of subtle sounds that felt like the roar of a waterfall.

With effort, he tried to open his eyes, but it felt like lead weights were resting on them. He struggled, failed, breathed (more wheezing was heard) then he tried again. Slowly, but sure, he pierced the darkness and was nearly blinded by the light of the room.

He was in a hospital bed, he realized, and the wheezing was coming from him. There were clearly bandages over his face and much of his torso. He was confused and panicked for a few minutes, unsure of how he got injured and why he was in the hospital. The walls were white, the curtains were plain, there were standard clipboards on the wall. It all screamed 'civilian hospital' to him, which meant either Global Justice didn't know where he was or they didn't care anymore.

Will tried to sit up, but the lattice of wires and tubes across his chest held him down. A siren went off with deafening volume and he tried to raise his hands to cover his ears. The tubes, and his weak muscles, kept him from moving very far, and so the siren continued to wail.

What felt like hours later a nurse ran into the room, pushed aside his curtain and pressed her thumb against the button that silenced the alarm. She looked down at him with a concerned expression – her brows pushed together, the sides of her lips pointed down – and then reached out to hold his hand. She felt warm and soft on the back of hand, and it was only that moment that he realized how cold he was.

"Can you understand me?" she asked in soft, melodic tones.

Will tried to speak but he had a pipe in his throat and couldn't even start. He gave up and slightly nodded his head.

"You've been in an accident," she said slowly. "You're at Middleton General Hospital and we've been caring for you for the last six weeks."

_Six weeks!_ What on earth happened? Why he was he here, in this hospital, instead of at a GJ facility if he was injured? Were his wounds so grave GJ didn't have the necessary equipment to help him? What about care? Shouldn't a GJ agent be posted somewhere nearby?

"Shh, calm down," soothed the nurse. She squeezed his hand slightly. "Don't worry, you're fine. You're in good hands. Let me call a doctor and she'll explain everything for you."

Will looked up at her and wondered what sort of response she was expecting. He nodded and let her leave, taking her warm hands with her. He felt a little empty when she was gone. Alone, again, he was in this room, with the roaring noise of the respirator beside him.

The door opened again and a tall redheaded woman entered. She smiled kindly at him and patted his shoulder when she approached.

"My name is Doctor Possible," said the woman. "I'm a surgeon here at the hospital."

Possible? Related to Kim Possible? She bore a casual resemblance to the freelance hero but older. Possibly her mother?

"Do you remember your name?" asked Dr. Possible.

Will nodded. Of course he remembered his name. He was Will Du, Agent-In-Charge for Global Justice. Direct report to Doctor Director. First in his class back in training, best record for a field agent in his initial year. Leading a strike team of six at a younger age than any other agent in GJ's history.

Dr. Possible picked up a clipboard and wrote on it with a pencil. Then she turned it around, showing three names.

"Can you pick out your name?" she asked.

Will Du looked at the list. It said _John _Logan, Clark Freemont, and Michael Sumner. His own name was not listed. He shook his head.

"You can't remember?" she asked.

Will stared, unsure of how to express his confusion. He knew his name, it just wasn't listed.

"I can see you're confused," said Dr. Possible kindly. Will was relieved that she seemed to understand him. "That's normal after the trauma you experienced. It may take time for you to fully remember everything."

Will frowned as best he could beneath the bandages on his forehead. She didn't appear to have understood at all. He shook his head to express his disagreement.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," said Dr. Possible, again not really catching his point. "It happens to most people in your situation. I'd like to help you as best as I can."

She pulled over a chair and sat beside Will. He looked at her, unsure what to do. He wasn't confused, she just hadn't listed his name. Wasn't that a test? Isn't he supposed to recognize that his name wasn't on the paper.

"Your name is John Logan," said Dr. Possible. "You were in a car accident with a piece of construction equipment. You were flung from your car and landed in a worksite just off the I-68 expressway. The doctors on the scene were able to get you here quick enough to minimize the damage further, but you have extensive facial and upper body damage from when you rolled after hitting the ground."

Will shook his head. This wasn't true, that didn't happen. He wasn't quite clear on what he was doing when he got hurt, but it couldn't have been that. What would he have been doing on the highway anyway? Who was John Logan beyond the historical reference?

"I was one of the surgeons that worked on you to minimize your cranial swelling," said Dr. Possible. "I'm pleased to say there will be no lasting damage. Your memory loss is the result of the sudden trauma and not brain damage."

Will shook his head again. He didn't believe any of this.

"It's okay," said Dr. Possible. "We've contacted your next of kin and I'm told she's already on her way in. Now that you're conscious I'll have a nurse remove the breathing tube so you can speak again. But please, take it easy. Try not to push yourself at this stage. It's better for you to heal and take it slow."

Will stared. He understood this doctor was just trying to help, that there was no way for her to really understand what he was saying, but it was annoying him all the same. He was NOT John Logan. He just needed this tube removed so he could say so.

Dr. Possible smiled and nodded, then stood and called to a nurse outside the door. Will simply waited silently and tried not to let his fuming be noticed. He knew there was nothing to be done right now, but it was driving him crazy.

The nurse entered with cart and some tools and began slowly removing parts of the tubing and, agonizingly slowly began pulling out the long clear cylinder out of his throat. He felt it scraping against the back of his mouth and he coughed violently several times while she pulled. Each cough wracked his body with small pains, undoubtedly the result of his extensive injuries.

Once the tube was removed Will tried to speak right away but his throat felt like sandpaper and he couldn't articulate the words he wanted to say. The nurse was ready and offered him a straw to suck on. He took a drink of something cool and sweet tasting, perhaps a juice and it felt like heaven in his throat.

With the parched throat resolved and the ugly tube removed, Will was ready to correct the misguided doctor. "My name is—"

"John!" came a voice from behind the doctor. Will paused and looked up. The slight frame of Jennifer Cartwright was standing in the doorway, her long brown hair in a ponytail behind her, and wearing a hideously ugly sweater instead of her Global Justice uniform.

Unable to parse what he was seeing, Will said nothing and just stared at her.

"Don't you recognize your sister, John?" asked Cartwright, expectantly. "Lorraine?"

"Lorraine," repeated Will, slowly. He was starting to have a guess at what was going on. For some reason, he'd been given a new identity and he _guessed_ that Cartwright was his contact. He couldn't fathom why the Global Justice Regional Second-In-Command would be his contact, but then again, he honestly couldn't remember being assigned to deep cover either.

"Lorraine," Will said more confidently and tried to smile.

Dr. Possible smiled widely and nodded. "I'll let you two talk. Let me know if you need anything." She turned and swept out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Cartwright came over and stood over Will at the edge of the bed.

"Agent," she said, with a nod.

"Commander," said Will. He couldn't salute in his condition but he raised an eyebrow instead. "What is going on?"

Cartwright sighed loudly and sat down in the chair casually. The formality she'd briefly expressed had vanished again into whatever cover personal lay before him. "Do you remember the bombing of HQ?"

"HQ was bombed?" said Will, his eyes going wide.

"Yes, please don't panic," Cartwright said quickly. "If your heart rate spikes those doctors will be back in here."

"Sorry, sir," said Will. He looked down and tried to think. He only had vague memories leading up to this room. He distantly could remember a buzzing noise. "I don't fully remember. Something about... bees, perhaps?"

"Very good, agent," said Cartwright. "Using technology acquired from Dr. Drakken, the Worldwide Evil Empire launched an attack with a swarm of explosive bees. They took out our main communication center, stored equipment, and backup systems. Power systems were destroyed, and auxiliary power only lasted a few days before we had to fully evacuate. There were casualties as well. Fourteen agents lost their lives."

Will sighed. The wheezing in his chest was low and rumbling. "I'm sorry."

"Dr. Director was temporarily incapacitated," continued Cartwright. "And I took over as Acting Director and was involved in the follow-up action to bring down WEE."

"Bring down?" asked Will. "You succeeded?"

"Gemini is in custody, his organization is now disbanded," said Cartwright. "Drakken is also in custody."

Will's jaw dropped. For as many times Gemini had escaped them at the last minute he was beginning to think they'd never win. "Congratulations."

"It was mostly attributable to Kim Possible," said Cartwright. "But we did the clean up."

Again Kim Possible came up. She was a near endless presence in Global Justice affairs since he first met her three years ago. Will tried to hide his envy over the girl who caught Dr. Director's eye without even going through proper training, without even understanding the rules of engagement, without ever consulting a rulebook. It was preposterous that someone who has been so dedicated to the cause, put in so many long and hard hours, could be overlooked in favor of a... a ... a _cheerleader!_

"Agent Du?" said Cartwright.

"Sorry, continue," said Will.

"In the aftermath of all that, however," she continued. "We learned something much worse. It is possible – we are unsure at this point – that everything was orchestrated by Angela Lipsky."

"The old woman who showed up with Kim Possible?" asked Will. He vaguely remembered Kim showing at GJ HQ with both Shego and Drakken's mother, of all people. He recalled the old woman's appearance, the short stature, un-athletic build, limited emotional range. It seemed incongruous. "Why her?"

"She was once Atomic Andy," said Cartwright.

"The villain from the sixties?" asked Will. Now he _definitely_ remembered Atomic Andy from the books. One step from taking over the world she always was. The perpetual nemesis of Captain Fantastic, who was the prominent hero of that era. It was a more flamboyant time, to be sure, but all the more memorable for it.

"The same," said Cartwright. "It appears she had been lying in wait all this time for the right moment to strike. She arranged for Gemini to pursue the Mantle of Tenoch so she could obtain it for herself, and her visit to GJ that you recall was cover for her to plant a virus to selectively erase our records of the artifact and her connection to it."

Will blinked slowly at these revelations. He found it hard to believe that short woman was the same person as Atomic Andy, nor that she had been putting forth some calculated plan all these years. "What does that have to do with me?" he said, asking the question he'd been waiting to ask.

"We're concerned about a new group that has appeared in the last few weeks," said Cartwright. "We believe they call themselves SCHEME, and they have been amassing power at an alarming rate. We have reports of agreements being brokered between them and the old families in Europe, parts of the Yakuza in Japan, insurgents in the Middle East, even smaller circles of criminals here in the United States. We're having a hard time keeping track of it because of how quickly they're moving."

"You think this is connected to Lipsky?" asked Will.

Cartwright nodded. "For reasons of... diplomacy, the OLC will not approve our formal investigation into this. Dr. Director believes it is because a few key members of the oversight committee have already been compromised by SCHEME. If we want to get to the bottom of this, we need to go under the radar."

"You want me to go undercover," said Will.

"What we'd like..." Cartwright trailed off and looked, for a moment, wounded. "What I've been given charge to do is find out what's going on in SCHEME through any means necessary in a way that can't be traced back to Global Justice. The mission involves a long, deep non-official cover operation with no possibility of recovery if it goes awry, and very few avenues to supply equipment."

"You want me to be this operative?" asked Will. This was not entirely an atypical assignment for him, he'd led teams before, been given command of recruits before, and asked to train up new agents in the ways of GJ. But to go it alone on such high stakes? "I'd be—"

"There are several catches to this assignment," said Cartwright. "We suspect that there are those within SCHEME that have complete access to GJ files. We need to go to every possible measure to make sure they do not find out who you are."

Will looked to the side and saw the edges of the bandages on his face. "You've altered my face," he said, a little unsettled.

"No," Cartwright shook her head. "Those are the injuries you sustained from the explosion, but if you agree to this assignment, we will be altering your appearance."

"What happens to Will Du, then?" asked Will, afraid he already knew the answer.

"Will Du will die," said Cartwright softly. "As we speak there is another patient here with your real name. Similar build and appearance, but with more extensive injuries he is not expected to recover from. At a convenient point in the future, that patient's death will be announced and there will be a funeral."

"And... after this assignment is complete?" asked Will. Cartwright looked sternly at him. He swallowed. "I see."

"You will lose all connections to GJ. You will receive unsigned mission updates from me. But beyond that, you will be on your own."

Will breathed deliberately, trying to keep himself calm. He was being asked to work with criminals, to support criminals, to _fight on behalf of _criminals, in an activity not sanctioned by OLC, not connected to GJ at all. And to top it all off, he was being asked to give up his life and identity for it.

"There is nobody else in GJ I trust to do this," said Cartwright. "I will be asking you, in the long term, to infiltrate SCHEME, report back to us what they are doing, and who they really are. This is a long term assignment, and may take months if not years to accomplish even the initial objectives."

Will nodded. His head was spinning at all the information and the ominous choice before him.

"Can I think about it?" asked Will.

Cartwright nodded. "Of course. I'm aware of what I'm asking you. If it makes any difference, I will be forced to resign from Global Justice in order to break the chain should anyone discover me in contact with you."

Will frowned. That really didn't make his choice any easier.

Cartwright stood up and nodded. "Think about it. I'll be back tomorrow." She turned to head for the door.

"John Logan?" said Will before she left. Cartwright stopped and turned slightly. "Logan's Lament?"

She nodded.

"That doesn't set a very positive precedent, if I remember my history correctly," said Will.

"I'll see that you do better," said Cartwright. She turned again and left the room.

-( KP )-

Disney's Kim Possible in

**Apocolocyntosis**

By Adam Leigh

Episode 5:

"The Scheme for The Book"

-( KP )-

_**PRESENT DAY.**_

Kim ran desperately towards the doors to the theater, checking her watch as she tripped over the exaggeratedly long costume dress she was wearing for her part as Christine. She did not understand how it got so late so quickly. She felt like just a second ago she was getting her costume on and it was hours until the production. Now she was thirty minutes late! Did the show go on without her? She wasn't in the very first scene, after all. She didn't see anyone in the halls or the classrooms to even ask if the show had started.

Stumbling again over her dress, she grabbed a bunch of the cloth and held it against her chest as she ran. The blue double-doors leading to the green room were ahead and she was only seconds away. Still she could hear nothing and saw no one.

Bursting through the doors, causing them to slam into the walls on either side, Kim ran into the Green Room, where actors stayed when they weren't on stage. It was strangely empty. Kim couldn't explain it but she kept running towards the door on the opposite end that would lead to the stage. Why wasn't anyone here?

Careful to be more quiet with the doors leading to the stage, Kim quietly pushed the door open and pulled her dress through. She could hear voices coming from the stage but couldn't make out what they were staying. None of the stage hands were behind the curtains, she noticed, not even Zita or Malcolm.

Creeping up to the curtains, Kim stuck her head behind the curtains and looked out onto the stage. The scene was set for one of the ballroom scenes, later in the play, and the actors were going through their lines as if Kim were there in her role as Christine. The theatre itself was packed, filled to the brim with guests. How could they not have noticed she wasn't there?

Kim tried to remember where in the play they were and tried to sneak out and take up the positon she was supposed to be in. As soon as she stepped onto the stage, she ran into someone else in a dress very much like her. In fact, it was an identical dress to hers.

"What the—" Kim started. She looked at the person in the dress and realized who it was. "Ken?"

"Kim!" said Ken. "You can't be out here. There can't be _two _Christine's in this play!"

"Why are _you_ dressed up as Christine?" said Kim, flabbergasted. "You're a guy!"

"I wasn't always a guy," said Ken with wink. "Besides, don't you think this dress makes me look good?" He looked up and down Kim's body. "I certainly wear it better than you."

"What?" asked Kim, incapable of mentally processing that criticism. "What's going on? Where is everybody?"

"You're ruining this scene, Kimmie!" yelled a voice. Kim turned to see Bonnie standing there in her Carlotta outfit. She was young again, back to the age before DNAmy had kidnapped her.

"Bonnie!" said Kim, excited for her classmate's recovery. "What happened? How did you get young again?"

"What are you talking about, Princess?" asked Bonnie. Her voice had changed suddenly and sounded more nasal. "This is a _play_, surely you realize we're all wearing costumes." Bonnie then reached up over he her head and pulled off her mask and dress revaling Shego underneath. She was old again but wearing her old green and black bodysuit – which was sagging unsightly in some places.

"Shego?" said Kim. She wheeled back a couple steps, bumping again into Ken who glared at her beneath hideous amounts of eye shadow. "What... how?"

"Aren't you keeping up?" asked Shego with a bored look. She tapped her heeled foot on the ground impatiently. "We're all changing roles here. Bon-bon's over there learning to be a teacher." She pointed languidly towards the audience.

Kim looked and saw the old-looking Bonnie sitting next to Dr. Rick in the front row. They were excitedly looking at something inside of a manila folder that Kim couldn't see. Whatever it was it was glowing. Bonnie looked up, smiled, and waved. "Hey, Kimmie... er, I mean, student Possible."

"Kenny here is taking over as the heroine," said Shego. "He's better suited to it after all."

"Well, I don't want to brag," said Ken... in falsetto.

"Yes, you do," said Shego. Then she pointed behind her at the other end of the stage. "The buffoon is exiting stage left to go star in another play, Murder on the Orient Express."

Kim stared as she saw Ron freeze while sneaking off the other end of the stage with Yori in tow. They both slowly turned to look back at Kim and giggled. "Sorry, KP! We've got bigger things to do. All of Japan is in danger! We can't limit ourselves to Middleton."

"Ron-san's mastery of _Hiro no Legend_ makes him too important to be a sidekick anymore," said Yori. "So we're going to go make out on our way back to Asia." She giggled again, grabbed Ron's neck, and pulled him into a kiss before shoving him off stage.

"That's not real Japanese!" called Shego as they left. She shook her head and looked at Kim and scoffed. "Amateurs."

"I don't—" started Kim but Shego cut her off again.

"Even Black Shadow has turned over a new leaf and is going to be Ken's love interest," said Shego, cheerily.

Ken looked over at Black Shadow who was dressed in a Raoul costume. They shuffled their feet anxiously and tried not to make eye contact with one another.

"Must we?" asked Ken.

"I need to see kissy face between you two by Act II or you're going to be replaced," instructed Shego.

"Ugh, _fine_," grumbled Ken, but made no motion to get closer to Shadow.

"Anyway," said Shego. "DNAmy is also getting in on the act, but let's not talk about _that_ too much." She pointed quickly towards the back of the stage.

Kim saw DNAmy wearing a Phantom mask and bridging her fingers in front of her. "Yo!" she said, in an uncharacteristically deep voice.

"Yeah," Shego said, wincing and obviously disturbed. "That." She shrugged. "Anyway, what are you still doing here?"

Kim looked around. "Me?"

"Yeah, why haven't you changed?" said Shego, frowning. She pointed at Kim's dress. "That certainly doesn't fit you anymore."

"What do you mean?" asked Kim loudly. "Why do _I_ have to change? I don't want to change!"

"Everyone has to change," said Ken. "Otherwise we get left behind, like you did."

"But... but I don't want to be left behind," said Kim.

"Then you should have thought of that before you decided not to change," said Shego, wagging her finger at her. "It's not like you haven't been given lots of opportunities."

"But—" started Kim.

"I mean, you didn't want to end up like her," said Shego, gesturing towards the audience with her thumb.

Kim looked back into the audience and saw nothing new at first. Then a spotlight shown on one of the chairs and she could see Monique sitting here. She was frowning deeply, clutching something to her chest tightly and biting her lip as she stared intensely down at Dr. Rick and Bonnie, seated two rows in front of her.

Kim raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips. "What... what's wrong with Monique?"

"I don't want to air out someone _else's_ dirty laundry," said Shego as she rolled her eyes. "Let's just say there should be a limit to how many times you can be jilted by your lover."

"What?" asked Kim. She didn't get that at all. She didn't get any of this. What was going on? Why hadn't anyone told her she should be changing?

"Hey, you're awfully confused," said Shego with a raised brow. "Are you sure you haven't already changed?" She leaned forward and looked so close into Kim's face that their noses touched. Suddenly she straightened and smiled. "Aha! I knew it! You did change!"

"I did?" asked Kim.

"Yeah, I can see the tag sticking out the back of your hair," said Shego. "Here, let me help you with that." She quickly darted her hand out and grabbed something behind Kim's head. With a yank she pulled on... something and Kim could feel her whole body sliding out of a slimy cocoon. Like she had been encased in honey and bandages and she'd finally been wiped clean.

"There we go! That makes much more sense," said Shego with a nod.

Kim looked down at herself and noticed she was wearing a blue lab coat. She raised her abnormally small hands and her skin had turned a similar pale blue. She grabbed her head and felt the short dark hair and ponytail.

"Here," offered Shego, holding out a shiny metal disc.

Kim looked into the mirror and saw her blue face, the scar under her eye, and her dark black hair.

Dr. Drakken screamed at the top of his lungs while looking at his reflection in horror.

-( KP )-

Ron pulled his head out of the glowing orb and looked around, startled. Yori was walking up to him in the dreamscape and looked a little alarmed.

"Are you alright, Stoppable-san?" she said.

"Yeah," said Ron, shaking his head. "Sorry, I didn't hear you at first. I was absorbed in this dream."

"What was it about?" asked Yori.

"I... don't think I should talk about it," said Ron. He eyed the orb with an unsettled expression and then slowly pushed it away so it could resume its large orbit around the Dreamtime Kingdom.

"Very well," nodded Yori. "Shall we try again?"

Ron sighed. They had been at this for weeks now, searching every night for any sign of Master Sensei's dreams. They knew that he was a master in _Sansaku no Kyuumu_, and as such would have considerable defenses against other dreamwalkers, but they had hoped he wouldn't raise such barriers against them. The fruitless attempts to summon his dream made Ron think differently.

The real issue, though, was that neither of them were experienced enough to know if the reason they couldn't summon Master Sensei's dream was because he was defending against them, someone was keeping Sensei's dreams from them, or if he simply wasn't there anymore for his dreams to be summoned.

Yori had refused to believe that Sensei was dead when Ron broached the possibility a week ago, and so Ron had dutifully come back here every night since and tried to find out more.

"Should we try someone else?" asked Ron. "We couldn't find Yuudai-sensei, and Hirotaka and Hideyoshi didn't know anything. Is there anyone else we can try?"

Yori shook her head. "There are many instructors, but Hirotaka-kun said he was in contact with all of the ones I know, and they still have not been able to find Master Sensei."

"There has got to be another way," said Ron. He considered – several times in fact – bringing in Amanda Veers, his Dream Mage instructor, to help. But he knew Yori wouldn't like it and he was a little concerned that the missing Master Sensei was a private matter that shouldn't be talked about openly. That didn't leave very many options available to them, however.

Ron looked at the staircase descending into in the glowing road that made up the dreamscape. "Maybe we can see if there is anything in the Cartographer's notes to help us."

"Cartographer?" asked Yori.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I didn't mention it," said Ron. "The room under the staircase. Some of the notes down there are signed 'The Cartographer' so I've started calling him that. Whoever it was that worked down there."

"Is that safe?" asked Yori. "Master Sensei warned—"

"We were down there before," said Ron. "It's just papers and some filing cabinets. And a number of maps of the Dreamtime Kingdom."

Yori looked suspiciously at Ron before slowly turning to look at the staircase. "If you believe it is best, Stoppable-san, we can take a look."

Ron agreed and walked ahead of Yori to begin descending the stairs. They were oddly contrasting to the abstract vista on the glowing road. The stairs appeared to be made of roughly hued stone and were firm under their weight as they walked. The rectangular room looked to be more of the same from the outside but once they entered it was warmly decorated with a tiled floor and wooden walls on which had been affixed a number of papers, shelves full of books, and, of course, the rows of cages that had originally contained trapped dreams before Ron, Hideyoshi, and Hirotaka freed them.

Over the last month, Ron had tried to organize some of the many hundreds of papers in the room so he could go through them and not risk re-reading the same notes by accident. Despite his ability to read the strange language the notes were written in, making sense of the notes was a different matter altogether. The Cartographer would reference things, like 'Oracle magic', or 'fey beasts', or the 'blood of Oberon', that had no definitions that Ron could understand. It was worse than writing a research paper for history class. At least there he could always ask Kim for help. In this case there was almost nobody that could possibly understand.

Yori casually walked around the room, looking at the top papers on several of the piles that Ron had created over the last few weeks. She would pick up a note, look at it, and put it carefully back down again. Ron knew she couldn't read them, nobody except him apparently could, but he held out hope all the same that she would see something in the swirling symbols that was recognizable.

"That pile is notes on something called The Crossing," said Ron, referencing the largest pile of read notes. Yori looked at it as he talked. "The Cartographer was obsessed with it, apparently because it's not easy to get to it through a dream."

"Why not?" asked Yori.

Ron shrugged. "He seems to imply it's because none of the dreams ever come in contact with it, since it's so far away from the Dreamtime Kingdom. I don't know why that would matter, since I can cross over to other universes through dreams that stay here."

"Perhaps he was not a practitioner of _Sansaku no Kyuumu_," offered Yori.

"I suppose," said Ron. "Until we met Ken last month, I didn't think it was possible to affect things here without the ability. But he used a device to do it, based off the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer."

"What is a Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer?" asked Yori.

Ron chuckled. "I have no idea, but a bunch of scientists made it and it was stolen a few times so Kim and I had to get it back."

Yori paused and then a small smile spread across her lips. "Perhaps this technology and magic are not so dissimilar."

Ron hesitated to agree. He knew that Ken's trip through the dreamscape was more than a little disruptive and that his own travel was much less violent. Technology might be able to breach the void, but it was very different than what he did. At least he believed as such.

Yori continued on looking at the piles and the maps hanging on the wall (which, apart from the text, were understandable to her). She stopped at the large map showing the giant orb representing the Dreamtime Kingdom and the hundreds of tiny balls orbiting it. "Why are the dreams drawn towards this one?" she asked, pointing at the center of the map.

Ron stepped over and looked at the map she was examining. "The Cartographer thinks that it's like gravity. Somehow this shared dream got to be so big that it... uh, leaked on the dreams around it. They started becoming part of the larger dream and then they merged completely, making it even bigger and drawing in more dreams." He shrugged. "I'm... not sure. I get the feeling it's something different."

"What do you mean?" asked Yori.

Ron shifted his weight and looked at the map with his head slightly tilted. "Well, it seems like the Dreamtime Kingdom is like... another world, trapped in the dreamscape. The Cartographer seems to believe that the dreamscape used to be empty and slowly more and more larger dreams appeared as humans came about."

"You do not believe this?"

"Sort of," said Ron. "I don't think it was always here, but I don't think it was an accident."

"Then where did this Kingdom come from?"

Ron hesitated to say very much. He had an idea, but it heavily leaned on lessons he'd been taught by Amanda Veers. "I can pull people into the dreamscape," he started slowly. "And I can create dreams of my own. I'm not very good at it, Master Sensei was better, but if I could create a big enough dream and then pulled enough people from around the world into it, then it would become ... permanent. Someone would always been dreaming about it somewhere and it would never end."

"People don't normally have the same dreams every night, Stoppable-san," said Yori.

_They can,_ Ron thought. "I've seen a few people trapped in recurring dreams, actually," said Ron. "Monique for one."

"Montague-san?" asked Yori. "This is Possible-san's friend we've seen at the school?"

Ron nodded. "She's always dreaming about ancient Egypt when I look for her." He shook his head. "I don't think she remembers when she wakes up; she's never said anything to me or Kim."

"So the Kingdom is a shared dream a master of _Sansaku no Kyuumu_ created?" asked Yori.

"I think so. And it's very old, if these notes are right." He pointed to the stack of papers to his right. "Whoever made it might not even exist anymore."

"Then perhaps someone there knows how to find Master Sensei," said Yori.

Ron froze with his mouth lightly open. "Master Sensei wouldn't take me into it," he finally said. "I'm not sure it's safe."

"Why would he not take you?" asked Yori.

"He said it wasn't part of my training and would be distracting," said Ron. "I'm not sure if that is true or if he was trying to protect me."

"Surely the other worlds you've gone to would have been more dangerous than this Kingdom," said Yori.

"I... suppose so," said Ron. "I didn't have any idea what I was getting into there. So anything could have been waiting for me."

"And you can leave the dream any time you choose, correct?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Then I think we should see if anyone there can help us," said Yori.

Ron said nothing at first but scrunched up his face in thought. "I don't know..."

"We must find out what happened to Master Sensei," said Yori definitively. "I believe you are a very capable warrior, Stoppable-san. We will be safe if we are together."

"Maybe I should get someone else to come with us, just in case," said Ron. "Inside a dream this stable would be just like going to another world."

Yori frowned. "You wish to invite Possible-san," she said without asking.

"She could help us in a jam," said Ron.

"Will she not make it harder for you?" asked Yori. "You had trouble keeping Hirotaka and Hideyoshi in the dreamscape."

"Inside the dream I don't have to hold them," said Ron. "I can move people between dreams and then leave them without trouble. It's just here in the dreamscape that I have to concentrate to prevent them from returning to their own dreams."

"What about Ken Possible-san?" asked Yori. "He is accustomed to travelling between worlds."

"I... don't know," said Ron. "I don't really think he should be involved in this. He's never met our Master Sensei either."

Yori sighed, looking off to the side. "What about your friend? Renton-san."

"He's not really that great in a fight," said Ron with a smirk.

"His dream self would be free of his wheelchair," pointed out Yori.

Ron blinked deliberately. "Oh my god, I never thought about that! He would totally love it!" He paused. "But, is it okay to tell him about Yamanouchi? He's not really a ninja."

"He is a close friend of yours and we have seen his trust in you," said Yori. "Do you trust him to keep the secret?"

"Absolutely," said Ron quickly.

"Then it is okay," said Yori with a smile.

"Sweet!" yelled Ron. "I'll go get him..." he trailed off. Then he looked at his wrist. A green mist coalesced suddenly and took the form of a watch. "We should wait for tomorrow, actually. It's getting late and we need to get some real sleep."

Yori nodded. "Then you may let me return to my dream, and I will see you when we wake."

Ron smiled warmly and nodded. "Thank you. For letting me show my friend this."

"It is _my_ honor, Stoppable-san." Yori looked slightly down with a demure look before fading into a glowing ball of light that gently drifted back up the staircase.

Left alone, Ron found himself thinking of Yori for several minutes after she had left.

"You two are the _cutest_ couple!"

Ron jumped in fright and turned to see Amanda Veers standing behind him, dressed in her black dress decorated in glittering diamonds.

"Amanda!" he said.

"You must learn to feel the dreams around you," said Amanda as she walked around the room. "There are many signs when someone new comes to the dreamscape, being attuned to disruptions in this world will help you from being surprised in the future."

"Er... what are you doing down here?" asked Ron, still a little unsettled by her appearance.

"Just checking in on my student," said Amanda. "I see you've found something interesting."

"Yeah, it's just some notes," said Ron. "Someone else left them, I think he's long gone by now."

Amanda touched her finger to her lips and hummed while looking at a diagram. "Perhaps," she said, cryptically. She turned back towards Ron. "Have you been practicing?"

Ron nodded. "I have been able to hold onto a hundred dreams at once and I've been sustaining my channeling longer."

"How long?" asked Amanda, idly.

"About an hour now," said Ron.

"Good," she nodded slowly. She looked over at the diagram again. "You've quickly pushed past the boundaries of your power. You should be ready to try the location spell in the physical world very soon, and I have no doubt you'll grow even more rapidly in the future, once you consider doubling."

"Doubling?" asked Ron, tilting his head.

"I should probably not tell you," Amanda said after a moment. "It is frequently better for students to realize it for themselves. I don't want to stunt your growth by revealing too much too soon."

Ron frowned. He wondered what difference there was between saying that and actually telling him what it meant. Though, Master Sensei used to play the same games with him as well.

"So I heard you're planning to go to the Dreamtime Kingdom," said Amanda, looking at Ron out of the corner of her eye. "I'd recommend against it."

"Why?" asked Ron. "Because it's dangerous?"

"Everything is potentially dangerous out here," said Amanda, waving her hand dismissively. "I would think you already understood that."

Ron sighed quietly.

"The problem with the Dreamtime is that is all too real," said Amanda. "It is easy to become trapped there, living whole lifetimes without realizing it." She pointed her finger at Ron. "You have to make yourself wake up from the Dreamtime, you see, it won't just happen on its own. But that place is very convincing. Your body will feel real, and you can even feel replenished from sleeping there. It is not your real world, though, and if you forget, well, there is only so long your body can live in the physical world without your conscious mind."

Ron's eyes opened wider. "Shego."

"Hmm?" asked Amanda.

"I... uh, we have a friend, Shego, who was lost in the void," said Ron. "She was left in a coma for six months until I found her."

"Your friend is quite resilient, then," said Amanda. "I know few who could last that long, even under hospital care. She's lucky you came along when you did."

"Yeah," Ron said, halfheartedly.

"Well, I warned you," said Amanda, turning towards the stairs. "I would hate to lose my student, but I know better than to try and force a talented dream mage away from what they want." She began ascending the stairs.

When she was out of sight, Ron thought about what she had said. He knew it was dangerous in the dreamscape, but was concerned that she felt it necessary to warn him further. They had both crossed the void into other worlds, worlds which not only felt real, but were real. How was the Dreamtime Kingdom any different?

No, Ron shook his head. He had to try. Someone out there could help him find Master Sensei, and he couldn't afford to limit himself until he found out whom.

-( KP )-

**FOUR MONTHS AGO**

Will Du traced a finger slowly over his unfamiliar jaw while staring at the stranger in the mirror. It was so surreal to see that face staring back at him, a face he didn't know, but was his own now. He shivered.

The surgery had been top of the line. No scars, no marks, no signs that he was once someone else. Even his hairline had changed. He was, by all appearances, John Logan now and there was the outside chance that he would die this way. He wondered, idly, what would happen in twenty years as he aged. Would he age normally or would the pins and hidden scars show up as he got older?

A sharp knock on the metal door to the bathroom startled Will and he instinctively reached for his sidearm. His fingers grabbed open air and he remembered that he didn't have a sidearm. He wasn't an agent anymore. He was a criminal. A 'villain.' And he had been caught.

"Your ten minutes are up," came a loud voice from behind the door.

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Will. He grabbed a washcloth and finished rinsing his face. He wiped the remains of shaving cream from under his nose and then threw the cloth into the wire basket. He took his shirt off the metal hanger and walked out of the bathroom as he put it on. It was an orange shirt with a number on it. Sometimes GJ was very traditional.

Will stepped into a narrow corridor with tall metal walls and a grated floor and was immediately poked in the side by a GJP-WO – Global Justice Prison Ward Officer – to encourage him to walk down the hall back towards his cell. Will tried not to get angry at his co-worker, but the environment made that exceptionally hard. He was being treated no better than cattle, and assumed to have an even lower intellect. Anyone would get angry after weeks of that.

Will walked according to how the baton in his side was telling him, past the other cells in his block, back to the concrete and steel bar cube that was his temporary home. The GJP-WO shoved him back inside and slid close the barred door. With a dirty look, the officer walked off again. Will walked up to the door and hung his arms between the bars as he looked out.

"Mindless goons," grumbled the prisoner from the cell across from Will's. "A robot has better intelligence than these automatons."

Will looked over at him skeptically. He knew exactly who this was before him, and he found it funny in a truly horrific way that the man who caused his injuries that led to him being assigned to this group would be right in front of him but just out of arm's reach.

"Like you're some genius," said Will at the other prisoner.

"Of course I am," said the man. "Haven't you heard of me?"

Will shook his head. It was a lie. Everything was a lie these days.

"I am Doctor Drakken, the greatest villainous mind to be held up in his hole," said Drakken. He grinned and wagged his eyebrows. "Heard of me now?"

Will stared. "Nope," he said.

"Nope? What do you mean, nope?"

"You're a genius and you don't know the word 'nope'?"

"I _know_ what it means," said Drakken. "I just can't believe you've never heard of the greatest villain of our age! Don't you have a television?"

"Yeah," nodded Will.

"And you've never heard of me," said Drakken.

"Nope."

"What about a newspaper, you got a newspaper, right?"

"Sure," said Will.

"And?"

"Nothing," Will shook his head.

"Liar!" shouted Drakken, pointing his finger emphatically across the gap separating their cages.

Will shrugged.

Drakken narrowed his eyes and retracted his arm from between the bars. "Alright Mr. Knows Very Little," he said. "Who are you then? I certainly don't recognize you."

"Nobody," said Will.

"I find that hard to believe," said Drakken. "They don't let nobodies in here."

"This isn't a damn club, _Doctor _Drakken," said Will angrily. "You're a nobody in here, too. Nobody knows we're here, nobody will hear about us, and nobody will ever sit in for a parole hearing. This is it. The end of the line. Where people become nobodies."

"Not me," seethed Drakken. "I won't be forgotten!"

"Good luck with that," said Will. "Let me know if you ever see daylight again." He backed away from the bars and sat down on his uncomfortable cot. He could hear the huffing and fuming coming from Drakken's cell and knew he'd done his job. He needed to get Drakken fired up, at least, that's what he'd been told.

Will thought, when he was first told about this assignment, that he would find it difficult to be so mean, but after the first day of being herded through the GJ Prison complex he was ready to be unruly. And after the first week he could be mean to anyone. He had no love for criminals, but he was finding it hard to see how prison was ever supposed to be a place for 'reform.'

-( KP )-

_**PRESENT DAY.**_

Kim found herself studying her hands for any sign of a blue tint so closely that she completely missed the question from Dr. Talstead. "What?" she looked up suddenly.

Dr. Terri Talstead looked at her with a bemused smile and Kim blushed in embarrassment. "I asked about your rehearsals. You're in a play, right?"

"Right, yes," nodded Kim, forcing herself to put her hands down on the sides of the chair she was in. She was sitting in Dr. Talstead's office for their weekly session but she was finding it harder than normal to give the psychiatrist her full attention. "They're going well. The recast for Bonnie's part is a little... less talented, so it's taking some work to teach her the lines."

"How about you? Are you enjoying the part?" asked Dr. Talstead.

"Yeah, I guess," said Kim. "It's a little... it's hard to forget why we had recast Bonnie's part, though. It kinda gives the whole production a macabre feel."

"That's in line with what you're going for, right? The Phantom of the Opera is hardly a lighthearted piece."

"The _play_ should be dark," said Kim. "Not the _rehearsals_."

Dr. Talstead nodded. "So, what's been going on with Bonnie? Has she returned to school?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah, sort of. She doesn't really attend classes all that much anymore, she just hangs around Dr. Rick all the time."

"Dr. Rick? This is the history teacher you told me about?" asked Dr. Talstead.

"He teaches history at the school," said Kim. "But he also works in Upperton at Edwin Garris U, and owns a large, private collection of antiques in New York City."

"Sounds like he gets around," said Dr. Talstead. "Why is he involved in with what happened to Bonnie?"

"He was there when we rescued her," said Kim. "He's been trying to help her adapt to her new age. It was his idea that she come back to the school."

"Shouldn't she be seeing a professional?" asked Dr. Talstead, her tone was more suggestive than questioning.

"Probably," shrugged Kim. "But she says Dr. Rick is helping and she certainly is looking better recently. I'd be more concerned if I didn't trust Dr. Rick, but he's helped me out in the past and I think he's a good guy."

"Everyone is a good guy until they're not," pointed out Dr. Talstead. "It doesn't hurt to have caution."

"Probably," said Kim. She didn't really want to have this conversation with Dr. Talstead. She had to trust some people or she'd go crazy. She trusted her friends, the new Team Possible, she trusted her family, and she trusted Dr. Rick. She wasn't quite sure yet if she trusted Dr. Talstead though. She looked at the back of her hand again.

"And the funeral?" prompted Dr. Talstead.

Kim looked up. "Oh, yeah, Will."

"You said last week you were going to attend."

Kim nodded. "I did. It was... strange. I'd met him a few times, I had thought he was a little stuffy but generally a good guy. He came around in the end."

"What was strange about it?" asked Dr. Talstead.

With a shrug, Kim looked out the window. "Everyone was very, I don't know, stiff. Like they weren't burying a friend. I _know_ Betty and Jennifer were hiding something. Betty even looked drunk." Kim shook her head. "Maybe some mission went wrong recently and they were pre-occupied."

"People handle loss in different ways," said Dr. Talstead. "Perhaps they just didn't know how to grieve."

Kim considered that. It really did feel wrong, but she couldn't articulate how. She didn't want to discuss too much about Global Justice with her therapist either since it could be a security risk. "It might just be me. But whatever happened, I'd like to think they owed Will better than that. A low key ceremony, no real eulogy, and a parade of special agents that said nothing and didn't do anything but stand stiffly. It's not right. Will was very enthusiastic about his job. He believed in their work. He deserved better."

"What do you think that means for you?" asked Dr. Talstead.

"Me? I'm not part of their agency."

"But you might be."

Kim looked a little stunned. "Maybe... I thought about it once. But their offer to me was rescinded last year after the bombing."

"Do you think heroes should be glorified?"

"Glorified?" repeated Kim, astonished. "No, not... glorified. Most of what Will did was spy work, his accomplishments couldn't be publically acknowledged. If he worked for the CIA all he'd get would be a star on the memorial wall."

"Then what's missing, in your eyes?" asked Dr. Talstead.

Kim stared at her hands again. _His_ f_riends_, her mind supplied to her, but she wasn't even sure he had any. Should she have been one? The few times she'd interacted with him, she was put off by his arrogant opinion of those outside of GJ, but he had improved. And when she saw him when they visited with Shego and Drakken's mom, he'd been... cordial.

"Don't worry about it," Dr. Talstead finally said. "You don't have to have an answer. So what else is on your mind? You're staring so intently at your hands I'm concerned they're going to catch fire."

Kim winced slightly and tried to convince herself that it was just a saying and that Dr. Talstead was not making a reference to Shego. "Just some weird dreams I've been having. I'm sure they're all full of symbolism or something."

"I'm not a Freudian psychoanalyst, and even he said sometimes a cigar is just a cigar," said Dr. Talstead with a smile. "Though he was talking about psychosexual urges and not dreams in that instance."

Kim was confused and didn't try to hide it.

"I am wondering why you've been spending so much time thinking about your dreams," said Dr. Talstead. "Is there something about them worrying to you?"

Kim shook her head. "It's nothing."

Dr. Talstead raised her eyebrows and waited.

"I'm just being silly," said Kim.

"That's okay," said Dr. Talstead. "We can talk about silly things. It might help you get it off your mind."

"I... er," Kim hesitated. She wasn't even sure how to articulate what she was feeling other than the worrying ache in her stomach. "It's... it's a wild dream, but at the end of it I ... I become Drakken."

"Drakken is the criminal who created the Lil' Diablo toys, right?" asked Dr. Talstead. "Why are you worried about becoming Drakken?"

"I'm not," said Kim. "It's just a dream."

"A very 'wild' dream, you said. So why did you describe this part of it if it's not the part that bothers you?"

"It bothers me, but I'm not – uh, it's not like I think I'm Drakken," said Kim.

"But you're worried you might become him," said Dr. Talstead.

"No!" said Kim. "No. Not really. Not at all." She wasn't anything like Drakken. She didn't want to take over the world and she was a lunatic scientist with blue skin. They didn't think at all alike. Nothing except for basic human things. And that time he turned good because of the Attitudinator. She was more like Shego than Drakken, anyway. But not in the evil way! No matter what she-

Kim sighed. "There's just this ... stupid thing that Shego told me way back in September last year and I can't stop thinking about."

"What did she say?" asked Dr. Talstead.

"She said that Drakken and I are both obsessed with something impossible," said Kim. "She said the only difference was that he wanted to take over the world, and I wanted to save it." She swallowed. "But I'm NOT obsessed. I mean, obviously, right? I gave it up for six months."

"And now that you're trying again, you're having nightmares of turning into Drakken," said Dr. Talstead.

"Yeah, but, it's not... I'm not. I'm never going to be like him." Kim scoffed. "Besides, what does Shego know?"

"You seem to think she knows about this," said Dr. Talstead. "Otherwise you wouldn't be worried she might be right."

"I'm not," said Kim defensively. "She's wrong."

"Why do you think she would say that?"

"Because she likes to tease me," said Kim. "All the time, even when we're working together."

"You were working together in September to _save_ Drakken, am I right?" said Dr. Talstead.

"Yeah, but only because he was kidnapped," said Kim. "I'll save anyone in danger, even if they're a villain. I can't be picky. That's not right."

Dr. Talstead looked at her silently. Kim felt uncomfortable under the gaze.

"What?" asked Kim, finally.

"Why is it bad to be obsessed with saving the world?" asked Dr. Talstead.

"Why... what?" said Kim. "It's impossible, that's why. You can't _save_ the world. What would you be saving it from?"

"From itself?" asked Dr. Talstead. "A lot of the people I help are causing their own troubles and just need guidance about not getting in their own way."

Kim frowned. "Like me?"

"I didn't say that," said Dr. Talstead. "You are – and I assume you already know this – quite unique amongst my patients." She shifted in her chair slightly. "But why not try to save the world? You must have an idea of what you'd like the world to be, right?"

"Well..." Kim searched her thoughts. "I don't know. Not really. I'd just like people to be safe. And evil people not to win."

"You can't protect everyone all the time," said Dr. Talstead.

"Now you sound like Ron," grumbled Kim.

"It's a true statement," said Dr. Talstead. "But it doesn't have to be condemning. The part that's missing is accommodation for people like yourself."

"What about me?" asked Kim.

"You want people to be safe, but in order to do that, you are putting yourself at risk. This is a classic dichotomy in the social compact. We must sacrifice part of what we hope to obtain, in order to obtain it. It's not an easy dilemma to resolve. We have taken some of the cognitive dissonance out of the equation as a culture through tradition. Everyone understands there must be police and that some people will be police officers, and as a result we will be safer. But that's a cultural artifact. There doesn't _have_ to be police, and we don't _have_ to be safe for that matter."

Dr. Talstead pointed her pen at Kim. "We _want_ there to be police, so we ignore the risk they put themselves in. But there is one group that can't afford to forget the risk: the police themselves. But you, Kim, we don't have a cultural artifact to describe what you do. So you _will_ be questioned, even by yourself, from time to time. Your responsibility to this path you've chosen to walk, is to have the answer as to why."

"Why what?" asked Kim.

"Why is it worth the risk?" said Dr. Talstead. "You have been hurt and you may be hurt again. You might very well be consumed by your obsession some day, like Drakken. Why take that chance?"

"Because it's right," said Kim.

"But what does that mean?" asked Dr. Talstead. "What is _right_?"

"What do you mean, 'What is right?'" asked Kim. "_Right_ is right. What else do you want?"

"But what does it mean to you? How do you tell right from wrong?"

Kim frowned. "I just do. Everyone knows right from wrong."

"They don't, Kim," said Dr. Talstead. "The people you fight, some of them may be deranged, some may be driven by anarchist principals, but they all think they're doing what's right. Their internal compass may point in the opposite direction of yours." She clasped her hands together. "But you can't define yourself as a measure of opposites. There won't always be a Drakken or a Shego to hold yourself up against. So the control against the obsession, against the decay of your personal values, is to define them, in a quantifiable way, so you can recognize them when you see them."

Kim shook her head slowly. "I don't understand what you're getting at," she said. "How can you not know what's wrong if you're not crazy? How do I 'define' good?"

"I can't tell you that," said Dr. Talstead. "I don't know how you define it. But you do, in some manner you always have. The point is to find that part of yourself and bring it out into the open so you can see it. So you can _understand_ it." She leaned back in her chair. "And that will help you understand exactly how you're different from Drakken."

Kim stared at Dr. Talstead, trying to figure out what she was asking. She understood basically what she was asking, but was confused as to how to accomplish it. She knew evil people, and those people _knew_ they were evil, right? If you're fighting against the police, against law, that was wrong. That was evil. Was there more to it than that?

"I can see you still a little confused," said Dr. Talstead. "That's okay. But I do want you to understand that there is a way you're different than Drakken, and you need to find it if you want to set your thoughts at ease."

"And until then I'm going to have these nightmares?" asked Kim.

"It's possible," said Dr. Talstead. "The mind will try to work out its anxieties at rest."

Kim groaned. "Great."

-( KP )-

Bonnie sat in the hard wooden chair, silent, unmoving, and fuming. Her back was killing her, having to sit so ramrod straight, and the large and mysterious book lay untouched on her lap - as she was instructed - causing her thighs to ache. She hated this chair. She hated sitting silently. She hated this book. And she hated Dr. Rick.

With a _thwap,_ Bonnie felt a yardstick smacking the back of her chair. Her eyes opened in shock and she turned her head to glare at her teacher.

"You're doing it again," said Rick as he walked behind her.

"Argh!" growled Bonnie. "What do you expect from me? This is annoying." She threw her hands up in the air in disgust causing the book on her lap to become unseated. It fell to the ground and made a loud, deep sound when it struck.

"This is essential," said Rick. He strolled around in front of Bonnie again and leaned against his desk in the classroom. They were in his History room where he had been teaching since September when he first became a substitute. Bonnie didn't like spending more time in the school than she needed to, but Rick insisted it was easier than finding somewhere else semi-private to instruct her.

"I'm not feeling the 'peace' from this," said Bonnie. She arched a grey brow at him.

"You too easily return to anger," said Rick, pointing back at Bonnie. "It's not an unreasonable reaction to what happened to you, but if you want to walk the Path you have to learn to let go of that instinct."

"Why can't I be an angry witch?" asked Bonnie with a scowl.

"Well, I won't lie to you: you can. But it's not the best way to go." Rich sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "It's _true_ some of the strongest warlocks are quite emotional, but the exchange for power is control. Walking the Path is a matter of discipline. Straying outside that path can lead to dementia in extreme cases, and at least trouble getting your magicks to work."

"At least I could do _something_," stressed Bonnie. "Instead of spending three weeks sitting the most uncomfortable chair in existence."

"These are the same chairs you sat in when you were in my class," said Rick.

Bonnie stared at Rick. "You'll notice I'm not objecting to that."

"More importantly, I won't teach you anything other than the Path," said Rick plainly. "So we can stop now if that's not good enough for you."

"Ugh," grunted Bonnie. "_Fine._" She picked up the book and placed it back on her lap and closed her eyes.

Rick put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him.

"Perhaps we should try another approach," said Rick with a half smile. He sat back down. "Talk to me for a bit. Tell me about your hobbies."

"My... hobbies?" repeated Bonnie. "Like, things I do for fun?"

"Yeah," said Rick. "I know about the cheerleading, and I guess you like to torment Kim Possible, but what else do you like to do?"

"I do NOT like Kim Possible," said Bonnie.

"That's not what—" started Rick then he stopped. "Forget about her. What about other things? Do you like playing chess, or croquet?"

"Chess and croquet?" said Bonnie. "Is it because I _look_ eighty years old that you're suggesting things my grandmother might do?"

Rick grumbled something under his breath and then displayed a smile. "Why don't you just tell me what you like?"

Bonnie considered what she liked that didn't have to do with school, cheerleading, or getting the better of her rivals. She really did like getting the better of her rivals, especially given her family, but she had a feeling that wasn't what Rick was getting at.

"I like to sing," said Bonnie quietly.

"Really?" said Dr. Rick. "I've never heard you sing."

Bonnie rubbed her throat. "I'm not sure I can do it with this voice."

Rick nodded knowingly. "Have you tried? Your voice isn't bad at all. Maybe it's not the same as before this all happened, but it's still melodic on its own."

"You think so?" asked Bonnie. "It's all raspy now, I don't like it."

"It's new," shrugged Rick. "I'm sure you weren't born with an elegant singing voice, you had to practice. This is no different, only you know what to do now."

Bonnie eyed Rick skeptically. "I... suppose so."

"Why don't you show me?"

"Show you..." Bonnie's eyes widened. "Singing? You want me to sing now?"

"I'm sure you have a favorite song," said Rick. "Sing for me."

Bonnie hesitated for a moment, then her eyes narrowed. "This isn't some trick, is it?"

Rick smiled. "I intend nothing malicious, but there is a point to this."

Bonnie sighed. "Fine." She cleared her throat, put the book down, and stood up. She thought about what she could sing but given her location her thoughts were drawn to the play rehearsals occurring in the very building.

"Think of me," she began to sing softly. "Think of me fondly." She cleared her throat again, struggling against the natural limits of her voice.

"_When we've said goodbye; _

_Remember me once in a while;_

_Please promise me, you'll try..."_

Bonnie coughed loudly again and then shook her head. "Forget it!" She crossed her arms and sat in the chair, her head turned away from Rick so she wouldn't have to see the grimace that was surely on his face.

Rick suddenly was next to her. "Don't give up," he said. "You sounded wonderful, but forced."

"I can't sing that key anymore," said Bonnie. She felt like she'd had her youth stolen from her a second time. She loved to sing, and now this was gone now too.

"Find a new one then," said Rick.

Bonnie glared. "You obviously know nothing about music."

Rick chuckled. "This much is true." He placed a hand on her forearm. "But I know a little bit about potential. You still have the ability within you, you just need to realize it."

"I can't reshape my vocal chords," spat Bonnie angrily.

Rick placed the book on her lap and then took her hands and laid them upon it. "Yes, you can," he said earnestly.

Bonnie looked at the book beneath her palms. "You'll teach me a spell?"

Rick shook his head. "There's no spell to teach. You know what you want. You know what it sounds like." He pressed his hands gently down on top of hers. "Just keep singing. And reach out with your mind through the book. Imagine your hands turning the pages, pulling them free, and then crushing them against your chest. Sing louder. Sing like you know you should."

Bonnie looked into Rick's eyes and saw a strange warmth in them as he spoke. She felt embarrassed to have someone speaking to her so honestly that she closed her eyes immediately to hide her shame.

"Sing," he said again.

"_Then you'll find that once again you long;_

_To take your heart back and be free._

_If you'll ever find a moment;_

_Spare a thought for me."_

Bonnie felt her voice straining just to reach the notes she was trying to hit. Her throat was getting scratchy and she wanted to hack up her lungs to be rid of them. Every cell between her diaphragm and her lips was burning.

_This isn't singing_, she thought to herself. _This is pitiful_.

Desperate to be more than a joke she imagined diving into the book, swimming in pages of arcane runes and cryptic phrases. She saw herself pulling pages to the surface and then clutching them against her chest while quietly pleading.

_Please_, she thought. _This isn't all that I am._

Something unknown bubbled through her chest, an icy cool wave that soothed the burning she felt, washing over her and refreshing her.

"_We never said our love was evergreen."_

Her voice evened and she could raise it higher to match the notes in the song.

"Or as unchanging as the sea."

She realized she wasn't singing at all, maybe she never was. She was just bringing life to the notes and lyrics she had read so long ago.

"But if you can still remember;

Stop and think of me."

She opened her eyes and sang clear and loudly, her voice echoing across the school. The small classroom filled with the music of the song as she sung to completion, ending with her hands clasped in front of her and a happy smile on her lips. She'd never sung so ... _correctly_ in her life.

"That's passion," said Rick after a moment. "Passion is pure, and can be used to shape the world around you. Everyone does it to a degree already, but the Path is to see beyond the surface, and use your passion as a tool to enable others."

Rick reached out and opened the book on Bonnie's lap. On the first page was written, in a runic-looking script, the title "Melody" and a description of its effects.

"Hmm," he said. "You have nicer handwriting than me."

Bonnie stared at the book and tried to figure out if that spell had always been there or if it had appeared because of what she'd just done. She reached out and turned the page on the book. The next page was blank. The rest of the book was blank, in fact. Only the first page had anything on it at all.

"It's blank," concluded Bonnie. "Or it was?"

Rick nodded. "This is your _grimoire_, it will fill itself out as you learn." He turned the pages back to the first one. "This is why I've had you keep this book on your lap for the last three weeks. A friend of my created it for you, but that would still make it hers unless you claimed it fully as your own." He shrugged. "Someday that will be a trivial task for you, but for now I had to use a more traditional approach."

"Traditional?" asked Bonnie.

"Meditation, visualization, simple possession," said Rick. "And a nudge in the right direction by the last bit of magick I still have under my command." He smiled. "How did it feel? The song, that is."

Bonnie frowned. "It was... strange."

"How?"

Bonnie closed her eyes again. "It felt right. Like I had never been singing the right notes before just now. The song had a ... shape, I guess. I never knew." She looked up at Rick. "But I helped it... _be_. I'm not sure how to talk about it."

"That's okay," said Rick with a warm smile. "That will come easier for you with time."

A thought struck Bonnie. "Have you taught other witches before?"

Rick's mouth hung open for half a minute before he replied. "I have trained people," he said, hesitating between each word.

"Trained in magick?" asked Bonnie.

"Of a sort," said Rick. "Never from scratch, honestly, and never in the Path for that matter." He shrugged. "But I had an excellent teacher, and I know what I'm doing."

"Why did you decide to train me, then?" asked Bonnie. She was honestly curious from the beginning but had gotten caught up in the flurry of not only discovering there was such a think as magick, but also being offered a chance to be trained in it.

Rick struggled to speak for a few moments then walked around to sit in the chair behind his desk. "There is much I cannot say, for a variety of reasons including a silly amount of binding curses I've agreed to in my life, but also because I don't want to scare you."

"Why would I be scared?" asked Bonnie.

"It's a big deal, learning your world is larger than you thought," said Rick. "Some people go mad just from the realization. It's hard to say how they'll react in advance, you just have to hope and pray."

"I already know, now," reminded Bonnie.

"You do," nodded Rick. "But... well, let me put it another way. You never knew there was magick in the world before I told you, right?"

"Not really, no," said Bonnie.

"Well, there isn't a lot, to be honest, and mostly that's because untrained warlocks have the tendency to immolate themselves when they're just getting started."

Bonnie looked horrified. "On _purpose_?"

"Not ... normally, but sometimes," said Rick. "I told you it could drive you mad, some people seek to free themselves from the burden in ... extreme ways."

"That's horrible."

"It is, and that's why you have me," said Rick. "That's why we're starting small, and why I've gone through the trouble of providing you a grimoire. That will help you understand your magicks as you learn them."

Bonnie considered that. She had no issue taking risks, but the idea that she could burn alive if she made a mistake unsettled her. "Wait, that doesn't explain why you picked _me_."

Rick smiled and he sat back in his chair. "Many lifetimes ago, I knew a young girl - well, young compared to me, anyway – who was arrogant and brash, foolish sometimes, and always defiant. She learned to use her skills, though, and in the end what she did changed the world." He cast his eyes downward slightly and his smile seemed more melancholy. "You remind me of her. You see, the world needs two types of heroes, Bonnie. The ones that fight for virtue, and the ones who fight for redemption. One pair of eyes can't see all the shades of righteousness. It takes a contrast."

"You think I can be a hero?" said Bonnie. She was _highly_ skeptical of this motivation. "You want me to be like _Kim Possible_?"

"I think you can be the hero that Kim _can't_ be," said Rick. "You were already her rival in school, why not expand that role a bit?"

Bonnie blinked her eyes slowly. She was not really prepared for this explanation from her teacher. She had always viewed Kim's actions with distain and therefore had never imagined herself in Little Miss Perfect's role. She had thought it all an unnecessary hobby for someone with too much time on her hands.

But then again, why couldn't she be a hero too? She was just as good as Kim, if not miles better. That Goodie-Two-Shoes was always so blind to the things that Bonnie could see, that was why she had bested her in the candy sales to become the cheerleading captain.

And wouldn't it be just _divine_ that after one of Kim's stupid enemies stole from her all the joy in her life that Bonnie would turn it around to become a better hero than Kim Possible had ever been?

"What do I need to do?" asked Bonnie.

Rick stood back up and closed the book on her lap. "Sit there, silently, and meditate again."

Bonnie closed her eyes and smiled.

-( KP )-

Felix felt tears on his cheeks before he even realized he was crying. He rubbed his eyes slightly and then turned towards his friend and hugged him tightly. Ron patted him on the back gently.

"Sorry," said Felix, pulling away and looking slightly red on the cheeks. He was standing next to Ron and Yori on a glowing white road in some vast, dark void. _Standing_. He was standing. Standing without crutches, a cane, or any cyber-robotics to assist him. He was simply standing tall.

"It's okay, dude," said Ron. He rubbed the back of his head. "I know it's a lot to take in."

"I just... I never thought I'd ever get to do this again," said Felix, motioning towards his legs with his hands. "It's ... well, I guess saying it's a dream come true is strangely literal."

Ron laughed softly. "Yeah, this isn't exactly the real world. But maybe someday I'll be able to help you there too." Felix's eyes brightened at the comment, but his friend wilted slightly. "No promises though."

"So, what's up?" Felix said after a moment to compose himself. "I mean, this is totally the best thing you've ever done for me, but I'm sure there was another reason for bringing me here."

"Do you see that?" asked Ron as he pointed down the road.

Felix's eyes traced the path until it was consumed by a giant glowing ball of light. It was so large, in fact, it looked to be the size of a moon or a small planet. He couldn't imagine how he missed that earlier. And now that he was looking, he noticed that there were tiny little motes of energy circling the ball, glowing and pulsing in sync.

"Woah," said Felix. "What is that?"

"It's the Dreamtime Kingdom," said Ron. "It's like one of other worlds I told you about, except this one exists here, in the dreamscape." He glanced at Yori. "We'd like to go in and ask around, but I wanted someone else to come with us."

Felix had a hard time digesting all of that at once. There was another world, _inside_ dreams, and they needed to _ask around_? "Ask about what?" he asked.

"That's kind of a long story," said Ron. "You know how I left for a while?"

"To go to secret ninja school?" asked Felix with a smirk.

"Well, yeah," nodded Ron. "I mean, yes. I _was_ at a secret ninja school. It's called Yamanouchi and it exists in the mountains of Japan. It's a really great place but... uh, we didn't exactly leave because I was done training."

"You got kicked out?" asked Felix, surprised.

Yori shook her head. "It was attacked."

"_What_?" Felix said

"Exiled students, called the Shade, attacked the school while our sacred leader was away and we were forced to flee." Yori shook her head. "We do not understand why this has happened and how to take back our school, but we believe that if we can find Master Sensei he will be able to lead us."

"Master Sensei is your leader?" asked Felix.

"Yes," nodded Yori.

"And you think he's in the Dreamtime Kingdom?"

"We do not know," said Yori. "But we hope someone will be able to help us there."

"And you want me to help look?" asked Felix, looking at Ron. "What about the others in the team? Can't they help too?"

"I can only bring so many people here at once," said Ron. "Three is about all I can do without concentrating, and if I gotta concentrate I can't look."

"Gotcha," nodded Felix. There was a mountain of questions he still had, but he didn't want to this to turn into some lecture series, and he felt he had enough information to start with. "Alright, I'm caught up. Well, no, one more question: have you been in there before?"

Ron sighed and Yori shook her head.

"What do you think is inside?" Felix asked.

"I don't know, dude," said Ron. "Which is why I wanted it to be more than just the two of us." He pointed his thumb towards Yori.

"Hmm, okay," nodded Felix. "Lead the way, I guess."

Ron turned towards the giant ball of light and began walking towards it. He moved quickly and confidently at first, but as the object grew as they approached, Ron's motions became more stiff and hesitant. He looked up and around the orb frequently as they approached and even checked behind him a few times.

Eventually Yori stepped closer to him and took him by the arm gently. She forced him to move at a steady pace and its seemed to calm him a bit as they walked. Felix was marveling at strange relationship between Ron and Yori before the light started to get impossibly bright.

Felix squinted against the glare and saw Ron and Yori get consumed by the light. At first it turned them into black shadows, and then it ate away at them until they were nothing but a faint shade in the distance. And finally, they were gone and Felix started to feel the light overwhelm him too. He held up his hands against the sun-like shine and pressed forward into the light.

-( KP )-

Ron ducked under a low branch and cursed his worn sneakers as they stepped around another gnarled root in the dirt path they walked. Yori had said little since they left... But Felix was making up for it by suggesting for the eighty-sixth time that they should have taken the mounts in ... even if they were not exactly horses. It would have made this trip to... at least a few hours shorter.

Without notice, Ron stopped in his tracks and caused Yori to bump into him and Felix to wildly fling his arms about to keep his balance.

"Do either of you remember where we were coming from?" asked Ron. He spoke slowly and deliberately, unsure of what exactly he was trying to say.

"I... no," said Felix. He rubbed his head. "I don't know how I forgot."

"I also do not recall where we came from," said Yori.

Shaking his head, Ron tried to open his mind to the dream again. "We weren't coming from anywhere," he said after a second. It seemed so obvious to him now and he couldn't believe he was confused a few seconds ago. "We just got here from the dreamscape."

Felix frowned but gradually he nodded. "Yes," he said. "That's right. We were going to the Dreamtime Kingdom."

Yori looked around. "This place attempts to fool you with false memories."

"That must be why it's considered dangerous," said Ron. "If you don't remember you're in a dream you can forget about your original body."

"What happens then?" asked Felix.

"Your body will end up in a coma, like Shego," said Ron. _And eventually die_, he thought, but didn't say.

"It is good that you questioned it, Stoppable-san," said Yori.

"How did you know?" asked Felix. "For a moment there I ... well, I can't remember anymore what exactly I thought. But I was confident I knew what I was doing."

Ron hesitated to say anything. "I'm not really sure," he admitted. "I just sort of had these holes in my mind and it bothered me. I wasn't quite sure why at first until I tried to touch the dream and realized where we were."

"Not bad, Ron-man," said Felix. "So, what now?"

Yori looked down the road and then up at the horizon. "This road takes us to a large city on that ridge. We should start there."

Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. The map he'd taken from the Cartographer's desk had made the trip intact. He unfolded it and looked around for the better part of five minutes. "I think this puts us in the Seelie Court... near Falcon's Wake, the capital." He pointed. "The road should bring us to the main gates if we follow it."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Felix said.

-( KP )-

Ron wasn't sure what he was expecting as he approached the tall and ominously walled city within the Dreamtime Kingdom. He knew, intellectually, that all bets were off, but he still perceived it as if it were another country, nestled in the Germanic highlands, surrounded by tall, respectful pines. Perhaps the people there would speak another language, or dress differently. Perhaps they would all be blonde or maybe blue-haired. Perhaps they would all be named Carl.

He never expected that they might not be _people_ at all, though.

Yori was first to notice, her keen eyes spying the carriages – and their occupants – from the ridge near the road. Ron and Felix had to get closer to be sure, but once they were a few paces from the dirt road leading up to the tall open gates to the city, it was impossible to ignore.

"Elves," said Felix first, picking the most human of the travelers out first.

"And... _were-_people, I guess?" offered Ron. He watched as a muscular man with brown-red fur and a short tail trudged alongside a wagon full of barrels being driven by a white-furred cat lady with very large ears and hunched over the reins leading to two wolf-tiger-things.

Ron studied the passersby with awe and a little fear. What exactly were they getting themselves into?

"There are humans too," Yori said eventually. "But many more elves than other types. Perhaps this is an elven city?"

"I can't believe we're looking at an elven city," said Felix, his eyes wide.

"We're going to go in," said Ron with a brave nod. While this was all terribly new territory for him, he felt confident that he could pull them back into the dreamscape if anything happened. "It looks like they're letting everyone through without question."

"We don't quite look like we belong, Ronster," said Felix with an arched brow.

Ron nodded silently and concentrated. In the dreamscape, he was able to summon a bo staff from nothing with a little concentration. Could he do the same here? Technically his clothes were just manifestations, could they be altered? What were the rules in the Dreamtime Kingdom?

With a slow breath, Ron gathered the energies that Amanda had been teaching him to collect and tried to give them shape and form. The tingling he felt in his spine, high up on his back between his shoulder blades, it was there, telling him he was doing it right. The dream could be channeled here, it said, harder than in the dreamscape but much easier than in the physical realm. With a flick of his wrist, he tried to form the clothes he envisioned in his head.

"Nothing," said Ron. He frowned. He wasn't sure what he expected, but he had hoped that what he'd learned in the last few weeks would have been enough to alter this dream. It wasn't. "We'll just have to try to blend in."

"And hope they don't mind strangers," said Felix.

Yori nodded and stepped down the ridge and onto the dirt path. Ron and Felix followed and the group walked with the bands of what looked like farmers and traders towards the gates to the big city.

On other side of the tall gate stood guards in heavy armor, hiding almost all of their features save for small chinks in the plate armor that exposed fur and skin beneath. Their armored forms appeared human, though quite tall, but the auburn fur peeking out dispelled such notions easily. Neither regarded the trio as they walked, only standing at ready for a threat that none of them matched.

Inside the walls, the main road through the gates was wide and brightly lit by sunlight. Wide stalls and loudly crying sellers adorned either side of the main road, displaying foods and trinkets, clothes, tools, and small weapons. Most of the people stood aside for the parade of travelers, but at the fringes it was packed with life.

People and... non-people of all shapes and sizes were there, many of which sprung fully formed from myth and legends. Ron saw tiny pixies, satyrs, minotaurs, centaurs, lizard men, and huge hulking beasts. He also saw dozens if not hundreds of elves, mostly slim, though some not, and with varying types of pointed ears. Ron had read his share of fantasy and played more than his allotment of video games, and never expected to see such variation. Like breeds of dogs he saw short pointed ears like Vulcans, long thin ears that stretched behind the head, wide ears that pointed up, some that pointed back and down, some that arced around the curve of the head.

Amongst this crowed, three humans in casual clothes must have just been part of the noise.

"Amazing," said Felix as he surveyed the same vista Ron did. His eyes turned and locked on something straight ahead and in the distance. "I guess that's where the boss lives."

Ron's eyes tracked Felix's and he saw the tall shining spires of a castle rising in the distance before the opposite end of the roughly circular wall. There were six spires in all, Ron counted, of varying heights, each topped with a red flag fluttering in the breeze. Ron had seen pictures of castle before, and seen a few in person on family trips to France. This one seemed inspired by newer designs, with tall glass windows, white walls, and clean lines. Along the nearest wall of the castle, which spanned two of the shorter spires, hung a banner that – at this distance – must have been half a football field in width and a full one in length. It bore a green crest showing a red shield upon which was an open book with a sword lying across it.

"The Cartographer's notes say the Seelie Court is ruled by a King," said Ron. "Oberon or one of his descendants."

"I don't suppose we could request an audience," said Felix with a grin.

Ron looked around and shrugged. "It couldn't hurt to ask, right?"

-( KP )-

The tall elf in a blue uniform covered in silver symbols stood before the tall double doors undoubtedly leading to the throne room and looked down at Ron and company carefully, then put a hand to his forehead and rubbed his temples.

"Court hours are for grievances," he said after a moment. "If you wish an audience with the Prince, you will have to make an appointment."

"Can we have an audience with the King?" said Felix.

"There is no King," said the man patiently. "Prince Wek is regent."

"What happened to the King?" asked Ron.

The man sighed. "Where did you say you were from?"

"Uhh, Middleton," said Felix.

"Earth?" offered Yori.

The man blinked. "Dreamers." He looked over his shoulder once then motioned with his head. "Come with me." He turned to the side and started walking down a marble floored corridor leading further into the palace.

"Where are you... um, taking us?" asked Ron after a minute of walking.

"To the one who deals with you folk," said the man.

Ron swallowed, wondering if this was a good or a bad sort of 'dealing.' He noticed that the man had a silver sword hanging from his hip, with an immaculately decorated handle that displayed signs of wear. It was clearly not decorative.

They turned away from the well appointed hall with tall ceilings into a much more reasonably sized – though no less extravagantly decorated – hallway with several heavy wooden doors to either side. They were lead to a door with a brass plaque to one side that read "BRYCE – ELITE SCIENCES". The man opened the door without knocking.

Inside was a large office filled with bookshelves, maps, charts, and tables overflowing with parchment and opened books. An equally buried desk was at one end in front of several giant windows displaying the courtyard of the palace and its exquisite rose garden. A man was standing behind the desk, bent at the waist and scribbling with a pencil on a map. The man behind the desk wore a grey uniform with gold trim with a double breasted jacket and cuffed sleeves. His hair was a dull blonde that was styled in a large swoop above his head and fell just above his shoulders to either side of his head.

"Sir," said the soldier who had led Ron, Yori, and Felix in. "I have three Dreamers from Earthworld."

The man behind the desk looked up quickly and his blue eyes stared at each of the three of them in turn. "Really?" he said. He frowned slightly and looked at the man from the throne room doors. "Have they been here before?"

"It certainly doesn't seem so, sir," replied the man.

"We haven't," added Ron. "Just flew in today."

The man behind the desk hummed contemplatively for a moment.

"If you don't mind, sir," the soldier from the throne room interrupted. "I have duties to attend."

The man behind the desk waved him off. "Yes, yes, of course. I'll mind them."

The soldier nodded and then walked off.

"I'm Ron," said Ron as he walked slightly further into the room. "This is Yori, and Felix."

"Oh, sorry," the man looked suddenly flustered. "I forgot myself there for a moment. I'm Bryce, a member of the Prince's Elite. Um, how much do you know about where you are right now?"

"Nothing," said Felix with a shrug. "We don't even know who the Prince is."

"Well, that's easy enough to answer," said Bryce, straightening a bit and walking around his desk and then leaning against it. "Prince Wek is regent of the Seelie Court... aaand I suppose you don't know what the Seelie Court is, either. We really need a primer for these sorts of situations."

"Do you meet many 'Dreamers'?" asked Yori.

"Many?" asked Bryce. "No, but a few. There are probably about a hundred dreamers in the city, a few times more than that throughout in the Court, but we typically only see a new one every few years. Much fewer now than there used to be, that's for sure. Either we've drifted a bit away from the physical planes, or your people aren't dreaming as much as they used to. Either way, I don't meet as many as in Calsian's time."

"Calsian?" asked Ron.

"The previous Lord of Seelie Court," said Bryce. "How did you three make it here?"

Yori looked towards Ron, who shrugged and then replied. "I'm a Dreamwalker. I brought the both of them into the Dreamscape and we... uh, walked here."

"_Walked_?" asked Bryce. "Fascinating. Explain that for me." He leaned forward and tilted his head slightly, exposing a long pointed ear towards Ron.

"We... we walked," said Ron. "There's a giant glowing road in the dreamscape, and it leads here. We just... walked. I don't know what else to explain."

"Truly remarkable," said Bryce. "I've never been through the void myself. I've only been here and on Earthworld, but I've always wondered how the Dreamers accomplished it."

"You've been to Earth?" asked Felix. "Like... recently?"

"Fairly," said Bryce. "I was in Princeton just last year."

"Princeton... New Jersey?" said Felix. Bryce nodded. "I'm... surprised nobody noticed an elf walking around."

Bryce laughed. "The glamour usually takes care of that."

Felix stared. "Huh."

"So what brings you to Falcon's Wake?" asked Bryce.

"Is that what this city is called?" asked Yori.

Bryce nodded. "The royal city is Falcon's Wake, where Prince Wek resides and holds court. His reign extends over the sixty-seven individual sovereignties that make up the Seelie Court, up to and periodically including the demilitarized zone between our court and the Unseelie."

"Is that a lot?" asked Ron.

"You're from America?" asked Bryce.

"Most of us," said Felix with a grin.

"Currently the known Seelie lands is roughly one and half times as large as the continental United States," said Bryce. "Of that, about half is mapped."

Ron's eyes widened. "Yeah, that's big. Is all of that part of the Dreamtime Kingdom?"

Bryce smiled widely. "That's dreamer-speak for the Faerie Realms, we don't typically use that. It refers to everything between the Mists, both Seelie and Unseelie lands." He crossed his arms and leaned a little further back. "So what bought you here?"

"We're looking for someone," said Ron. He shook his head. "Though I dunno if you're going to be any help if you've never been to the dreamscape."

"Another dreamer?" asked Bryce. Ron nodded. "Came through recently?"

"We're not sure," said Ron. "His name is Master Sensei."

Bryce frowned and looked to the side. "Master Sensei..." he repeated. Then he stood up and walked around his desk, pushing aside papers and books. "Why is that familiar?"

"You have heard of him?" asked Yori.

Bryce picked up a tall stack of papers and dropped them on the center of his desk. He began shifting through them quickly. After a minute he pulled out one paper and held it up to the light, studying it. "Master Sensei of... Yamanouchi?" he said.

"Yes!" Yori said energetically.

Bryce slowly lowered the paper and looked grimly at Yori. "I'm sorry," he said. "I have heard of him, but only because man in black robes and dark hair came through here recently hunting him."

-( KP )-

**THREE MONTHS AGO**

The white light from beyond the door was blinding, and Will's eyes retreated in fear and anger at the pure intruders into the dank cabin.

"LOGAN," yelled a figure beyond the doorway, standing in the pool of whiteness that washed away all detail.

Will stood, breathed, and slowly trudged out. The last few months had not been kind. He'd been beaten, bruised, battered, starved, humiliated, and then delivered each back to its perpetrator. In the beginning, Will had held onto the idea that a prison run by Global Justice – _his Global Justice_ – would be better than San Quentin, than old Alcatraz, than any supermax prison. That the money GJ had at its disposal, the legions of criminal profilers, the sheer volume of information they had on villainy would produce a place of containment that could be, at the very least, civilized.

Bollocks to that. It wasn't the location, the staff, or the money that made prisons what they were. It was the people. Because when you take away the good people, the ones that provide the baseline, the ones that can still spark a hint of guilt in the conscious of a mass murderer, evil becomes the norm. And what do criminals do when their aberrant lifestyles become _normal_ instead of feared?

Well, they become worse of course, so that they can stand out again.

Slightly hunched, Will Du, now John Logan, walked out of solitary confinement and followed the GJ guards out of the isolated cellblock, past the blacked out doors, and back into the rest of the prison complex. To his surprise, they did not escort him back to his cell, and instead he was taken to the visitors room.

The visitor's room was highly controlled, and designed to allow only two people to enter and exit through specific doors. The room was barely bigger than the cell that Will now lived in, and was divided by steel grating in the middle with a plexiglass stripe in the middle to allow unobstructed view across he barrier. Will was pushed through the door on his side, and, after a minute, the door on the other side of the grating opened and in slipped Jennifer Cartwright.

She looked like a hooker. She had _yellow_ spandex on, under leather hot pants. She had a PERM for god's sakes! And platform boots!

"Geeze," said Will, shaking his head. "Honestly?"

"Whut?" said Jennifer, curtly. "You don't like whut you see?"

Will sighed, and a small smile crept across his face as he looked at the train wreck in front of him. It had been four months since he'd accepted this assignment, and in that time he'd not seen Jennifer at all. His memories of her seemed almost romantic in his mind, of a trusting, quietly smart superior officer asking her trusted agent for help.

But now, through the lens of months of prison and ... whatever it was that Cartwright went through to look like that, it seemed silly. She seemed small now, and he the one burdened with a lifetime of sins. He had to laugh.

It felt good. He hadn't laughed in a while now.

Cartwright walked up to the glass and looked at him with a stern expression that almost – _almost_ – rose her back up to her former authority. But Will couldn't even find it in himself to bow to that anymore either. He kept laughing for another half a minute before getting a hold of himself.

"I-I'm sorry," he said at the end as he wiped the tears from his eyes. He wasn't sure if all those tears were joy or something else but at the moment he wasn't interested in separating them. He breathed loudly. "Oh, that felt good." It was true. He was relieved he could still laugh so hard.

"If that's over," started Cartwright, abandoning the horrible Brooklyn accent. "Can we get down to business?"

"Of course, sir," said Will, respectfully... but with a smile.

"Have you made progress?" asked Cartwright.

Will nodded. "There's a ninja in here that I think is being courted by SCHEME. I've been ... well, let's say we haven't been friendly. But I think I have his respect."

"Is he a viable path?" asked Cartwright. She looked up and to the side for a moment. "Fukushima, you're talking about?"

"Yes," said Will. "And yes, I think he is a viable path, if I can offer him something worthwhile."

"You only have one bargaining chip, Will," said Cartwright quietly. "And you can only use it once. You have to be sure."

"I know. But it's taken time to find anyone willing to talk, and a lot of time to build cred in here. Your backstory was a waste, nobody cares here. All they see is right now."

"If you make it to stage two, that backstory will save your life," said Cartwright. "Don't forget how long this game is."

"I _haven't_," said Will, perhaps more intensely than he intended. "Trust me, I haven't forgotten for a second."

Cartwright held his gaze for a moment then nodded. "Very well, I can arrange it. What time frame do you want?"

"Two weeks," said Will. "That should be enough time." If it wasn't, well, it didn't look like any better opportunities were going to present themselves.

"All right, we'll do it on Thursday," said Cartwright.

Will stared. "Is... is that what today is? Thursday?" She nodded. "I guess I was in there three days." He rubbed his chin and felt the stubble there. He probably should have realized before now, but there were only clocks on the walls, not calendars, and inside that black, soundless box, time just ground to a halt.

"Three days in where?" asked Cartwright with a frown.

"Never mind," Will dismissed her with a wave. He rubbed his eyes briefly. "I'll try to contact you again when it's over. Has the drop point changed at all?""

Cartwright shook her head slowly and narrowed her eyes at Will. "Is everything alright with you?"

"You don't ask a prisoner that," Will frowned. He turned and went back towards his door, banging on it twice.

"Why not?" pressed Cartwright.

"Because you might get the truth," he said. Then the door behind him opened and he stepped back out, leaving a confused looking senior officer behind him.

-( KP )-

_**PRESENT DAY.**_

Kim tried to get Monique's attention again but found her sighing instead of listening again as she looked out across the cafeteria. Kim looked for whatever might be the cause of her pretty obvious crush, but nobody really stood out in her mind. Just a collection of sophomores, juniors, and seniors, all talking, eating, or fooling around. Nobody of note apart from Dr. Rick and Bonnie passing through on their way to ... whatever special training she was getting all the time.

Kim wondered what was going on with them, but couldn't find the courage to ask. She knew Dr. Rick was a nice guy, and for some reason Bonnie was looking much less suicidal these days. Whatever was happening was helping, so Kim didn't want to interfere and run the risk their rivalry would undo her recovery.

"Mon, you have really got it bad," said Kim shaking her head with a smirk.

Monique finally perked up and looked at Kim with wide eyes. "What? No I don't. Bad what? I'm not interested."

Kim laughed. "Okay, that was an admission if I ever heard one."

"I admit nothing," said Monique, looking flushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Riiiight," said Kim.

Monique rolled her eyes. "So what's up with you?"

Kim poked at her salad casually. "Ken."

"Your crossworlds clone?"

Kim nodded and then took a bite. "He's been moping around the house a lot recently. He cooks and cleans and more or less acts like a maid, but he's still depressed over Shego."

"I still can't believe he likes her," said Monique. "It must be a truly backwards world he comes from."

Kim made a half smile. "He is me as a boy. But Shego isn't always that bad. I used to believe she did it for the money, that she was just a mercenary."

"Even after what she did to Bonnie?" asked Monique.

Kim shrugged. "It's been hard to accept that one. But Ken isn't that bad a guy, and if he was able to see something good in her, doesn't it mean it exists somewhere?"

"Either that or he's a cougar hunter," grinned Monique.

"She didn't look eighty in his world," said Kim. She took another bite of her salad. "I feel like I have to give her a chance, she did try to save us, and she gave us the medicine for Bonnie."

"Which didn't work." Monique pointed with her fork. "It could have been a ruse."

"But we haven't seen her in almost a month," said Kim. "Not a peep in three weeks. It's almost like she's... I dunno. Guilty."

"She's very guilty."

Kim shook her head. "Not like that. I mean, it's like she feels regret over what happened."

"That doesn't excuse it," said Monique, frowning. "I'll entertain the idea that loverboy sees a side of her we don't, but I would expect that if she swooped in and stole sixty years off _my_ life you wouldn't be telling me to look for the silver lining." She put her fork down and pointed back at Kim. "She's done evil, Kim. What happened to Bonnie – for whatever her faults – is inexcusable. Even if she hides out for the rest of her life, it's not enough." She held her stare with Kim for a few seconds more before going back to her food.

"Okay," Kim said softly. She looked down at her salad for a minute, then looked up again. Monique was angrily eating her pasta in silence. "Are you okay?"

Monique paused and then shook her head. "Bad stuffs been happening recently," she said. "You got shot. Ron ran away. Wade went missing. Felix and his mom were kidnapped. Brick went to jail. And now Bonnie lost most of her life. I can't help but think..." She trailed off and went back to eating.

"What is it?" Kim prompted.

Monique looked up, but she wasn't angry, she looked hurt. "I can't help think I'm in the line of fire, Kim. When is going to be my turn?"

Kim looked aghast. "I'd _never_ let that happen to you!"

"You can't stop it!" snapped Monique.

The nearby tables suddenly quieted and turned their attention towards them, but Monique didn't seem to notice.

"Mon—"

"It's not enough to rescue people," continued Monique. "We're _still _in danger. They just keep coming back and it gets _worse every time_." She sighed, shook her head. The rest of the cafeteria seemed to quiet for her as she shuddered.

"And maybe you're there, and maybe you catch the bad guy, but how long is it until the next attempt? And what if it isn't just a gag? What if someone..." Monique grimaced and looked at the floor as her faced scrunched up. "If one of us gets..." she tried again and then couldn't finish. Eventually she took a breath and said softly. "We're just kids. We're not supposed to have to deal with this."

Kim stood, stricken, and stared. Suddenly there was a large form behind Monique and it reached out to place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Ms. Montague?" said Barkin softly. "Why don't you come with me?"

Monique looked up at the teacher, then looked slowly around, finally noticing the rest of the cafeteria staring at her. She quickly turned away and looked at Barkin's jacket to hide her face. She then nodded twice.

Mr. Barkin guided her out of the cafeteria slowly, taking only a moment to nod towards Kim with a short and restrained, "Possible."

Then they were gone, and the ocean of students in the cafeteria were staring at her now.

-( KP )-

Ron picked up his bag and lazily slung it over his shoulder as he stood in front of his locker. Sixth period. It was going to be hard again to get through U.S. History again thanks to how late he was up last night in the Dreamtime Kingdom. He just wished the trip had been more fruitful. All they confirmed was that there was indeed someone targeting Master Sensei, someone who had the ability to reach the dreamscape.

Which would be news if Master Sensei himself hadn't supposed that was the case before Yamanouchi was attacked. All they knew now was that it was planned, but they weren't any closer to figuring out where Sensei was or where the person who was targeted him ended up.

"Hi, Ron," came a voice from Ron's side. He turned to see Zita smiling next to him. She looked strangely awake, like she'd managed to drink a whole carafe of coffee at lunch. Though, maybe everyone just looked that way when he was so tired.

"Hey Zita," nodded Ron. "Ready for prohibition?"

Zita blinked. "Well, it doesn't bother me much, but I hear Barkin keeps a flask in his desk."

Ron pointed at his bag. "I mean, History."

Zita patted him on the back. "I know." She turned and started walking down the hall towards their sixth period class. Ron followed quickly afterwards, glad to have someone to follow and not have to think about where he needed to go.

"Late night dreaming?" asked Zita over her shoulder.

"Yeah," said Ron. "Even with the Lotus Blade, I still lose track of time and end up only getting a couple hours of sleep."

"The Lotus Blade?" asked Zita.

Ron pulled on his sleeve and revealed a dark green wristwatch.

"Odd name for a piece of jewelry," said Zita.

With a shrug, his sleeve fell back over his wrist. "It's not always jewelry," said Ron. "And it keeps time with the real world when I'm in the dreamscape. I've been trying to use it to make sure I still get at least five hours at night, but the best I've done recently is two."

"Ouch," said Zita. She looked up contemplatively for a moment. "I don't suppose, then, that you remembered to do your homework for today."

Ron stopped and stared.

Zita giggled as she turned to look back at him. "That's a no?"

Ron slapped himself on the forehead. "Oh, man, the questions were due today!"

"Got it in one," said Zita. She opened the notebook she was carrying and pulled out three pages of printed paper and held them out. "Mr. Palmer said you were going to fail the semester if you missed your assignments one more time."

"Oh, man," groaned Ron as he ran both his palms over his face.

"Here."

Ron peeked between his fingers to see Zita holding the three pages towards him expectantly. "What."

"The questions," said Zita. "You don't want to fail, do you?"

Ron's hands dropped to his sides as he looked at the pages suspiciously. "I can't take those, what about you?"

"I've got my own," said Zita, continuing to smile. "They're different responses from yours, so Palmer doesn't know they're both from me."

Stepping forward, Ron slowly took the pages from Zita. "Thanks?" He paused. "I mean, why?"

"Just a favor from a friend," said Zita. She turned on her foot and started walking again. "You can pay me back later."

Ron stared at the pages, but saw nothing openly suspicious about them. He then ran after Zita. He caught up with her just before the classroom and stopped her at the door.

"Repay you how?" asked Ron.

Zita looked into his eyes with a grin on her face. "I want to see it."

Ron flushed and looked momentarily down before quickly locking his eyes on a space above Zita's head. "S-See what?"

"The dreamworld," said Zita.

"What?" said Ron, surprised. "Why?"

"Are you kidding?" asked Zita. "The fiddling I do with lights on a stage or characters in a video game is child's play compared to there. You can create whole worlds. Forge kingdoms with castles, and kingdoms, and elves, and furries! It's limitless."

"How do you know about the kingdom?"

"Felix told me after you finished last night," said Zita.

Ron grumbled. "He wasn't supposed to. Wait a minute. It was, like, four in the morning when we finished."

"He was very excited to tell me," noted Zita.

Ron stepped back a bit and tried to get some perspective. "So you made this for me, because you knew how late we were out and figured I'd forget about the homework, so you could exchange it for a trip to the dreamscape?"

"No," said Zita. "I made that to help out a friend who took Felix somewhere very cool, and hoped I could get a chance to see that cool place too, in a totally non-obligatory and casual fashion." She looked sweetly up at him.

Ron grunted.

"Alright," he said, then slipped past Zita and into the classroom.

"Yes!" he heard Zita say behind him. He turned back after a moment.

"But not tonight," he said. "I've got work to do at midnight."

"Aw," pouted Zita. Then she raised an eyebrow. "What work do you have to do at midnight?"

"I've...uh," he started. "I've got to look for something."

-( KP )-

Bonnie tapped her foot as she waited by Rick's car at the end of the school day, her hands wrapped around the thick grimoire that never left her reach anymore. She couldn't figure out why someone with as much money as him drove such an ancient Buick, but sure enough, the bright yellow car sat in the faculty parking lot like a blister amongst its much better peers.

"I think I missed him," said Rick as he walked up to the car with his hand cupped above his eyes. He looked around for a moment more and then shoved his hands in his pockets against the winter breeze. "I'll have to try tomorrow."

"Why, again, are we looking for that doofus Stoppable?" asked Bonnie.

"A friend of mine told me to look out for him," said Rick. He shook his head. "I've been putting it off to concentrate on your training, but now that you've taken ownership of your grimoire, I think I should check in on him. Make sure he's not in any trouble he shouldn't be."

"He's part of that Team Possible gang, they're always in some trouble," Bonnie said flatly.

"Yes, I know what Kim does," said Rick with a grin. He unlocked the passenger's door and held it open for her. "But I'm more concerned about a magical influence."

"Magical? Stoppable?" said Bonnie before sitting down into Rick's Buick GSX.

Rick walked around the front of the car and then got into the driver's seat. The engine roared to life as he touched the steering column, but Bonnie didn't see a key anywhere.

"Yes," said Rick. "There's ... okay, well, there are several domains of magic in this world. The Path, what I've been teaching you, is one type of doctrine-governed magic. There's also dreamwalking, which is a looser, will-governed domain. It's much more volatile for the uninitiated, and Aurora tells me that Ron might get caught up in it."

"Who's Aurora?" asked Bonnie, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"My friend," said Rick. He put the car into drive and headed out of the parking lot.

"Wow. Descriptive."

Rick smiled at her. "As your teacher, there are probably things I shouldn't tell you about myself, lest you get the wrong idea."

Bonnie studied his reaction careful. "Well, we wouldn't want that," she said simply.

"It's nothing terrible," Rick continued in a slightly forced tone. "But I'm not a good example of what you should do. I made many missteps in my life I'd rather you avoid."

"And Aurora's one of those missteps?" asked Bonnie.

Rick looked ahead but seemed amused. "Not at all. But our shared history certainly wasn't smooth. We got involved in a lot of things that were well above our heads and didn't realize until we tried to exit." He started to frown. "She's still involved in some of those things, actually. Which is mostly why I'm here and she's... not."

Bonnie watched him shuffle uncomfortably in his seat while his eyes stared straight ahead. She didn't know where to go from there, whether he was prompting her to ask more or asking her to drop it.

After a minute he continued on. "Secrets are important to witches and warlocks. They protect us. They protect others. They keep the sometimes tidal forces controllable. So it's important that you understand the Path demands I hide some things from you, and you, in turn, will have to hide things from others. We've already talked about your family."

"They know nothing," said Bonnie firmly.

"And while we haven't quite breeched the topic of Kim Possible and her team, you should know they aren't as simple minded as you think they are," said Rick. He looked at her again. "They are possessive of secrets too, ones you may already suspect, and others you probably haven't yet dreamed of. Don't be quick to judge."

Bonnie frowned deeply. She was a little concerned how often Kim was coming up in their training. The goodie-two-shoes seemed like a curse, constantly trying to derail her life and throw it into chaos. Her current... condition was testament enough of that.

She tried to calm herself slightly as she looked back at Rick. It wasn't all bad, though.

"How do you know their secrets?" she asked after a moment.

The smile returned to Rick's lips. "We keep similar company."

"And do they know about yours?"

Once again, Rick turned contemplative. "They don't, actually. They know little more about me than you did before I showed you magick." He turned the car onto the highway and accelerated. "For the time being, I'd like to keep it that way."

Bonnie reached out and touched Rick's arm. "I'll keep your secrets until you tell me not to."

Rick raised his eyebrows at her touch and then nodded. "Thank you."

Bonnie pulled her hand back and felt her face redden slightly. "So where are we going?"

"You're going to sing for me again," said Rick.

Now Bonnie went wide eyed. "What?"

"You didn't think your solo in my office was going to be it, did you?" said Rick with a grin. "Now that we've found one of the ways to access your ability, we have to grow it."

"So where are we going?" asked Bonnie.

"A community choir group I found last night online," said Rick. "I gave them a call and asked if you could join. It's far enough away you shouldn't run into any of your classmates unless they follow you. And, well..." The car roared as he continued to accelerate. "I'm not that easy to follow."

"A choir group?" asked Bonnie. "That sounds... old people-ish."

"It is old people-ish," said Rick. "But that's why I picked it. Its better you blend in while we're training, less questions to answer."

"So I'm just going to be casting Melody all afternoon?" asked Bonnie.

Rick shook his head. "No, of course not. You can practice what you already know at home. We're going to try and expand a bit, see how well attuned you are to other vocal magic."

"Like what?" asked Bonnie, almost afraid.

"Mostly mood stuff," shrugged Rick. "Basic manipulation magic. Can come in handy if you need to calm a crowd down, or get them energized. You know, party magic."

"Oh! Now you're talking my language." Bonnie smiled.

Rick laughed.

-( KP )-

**TWO MONTHS AGO**

Will felt the bag taken off his head and he blinked groggily at the intrusion of light. He'd gotten used to the _idea _of sudden changes in lighting, anyone who had spent as much time in solitary as him would, but not gotten used to the nausea. At first it confused him, how simple light could cause his stomach to turn and the pain behind his eyeballs to flare, but after a while he figured it out. So much of life was defined by visual cues, when you were blind you weren't just absent one sense you were absent the most important one. So it wasn't just a matter of turning up the lights really quick, it was turning up _existence_.

His mouth felt numb as he worked his tongue along his teeth and barely felt the edge. A sedative was used on him, he realized. Probably sometime after the fight.

The fight! He was ambushed. _They_ were ambushed. He and Fukushima. They'd gotten free of the GJ prison, escaped using the long and arduous plan that Cartwright had set up with him months ago when he first set up the assignment. That was always the plan: find someone who could get him in, then help him get out. If fair was fair, he could leverage that into a meeting with the new big name in organized crime.

But with villains, fair was never fair. Fukushima tried to backstab him – literally. Will wasn't even sure where the knife had come from. A shiv, perhaps, from pieces of the laundry machines, some ceramics, perhaps a simple piece of plastic was all it took. It still had an edge and it cut across Will's arms as he defended himself. Long cuts, but shallow, none deep.

The fight was both simple and horribly complex. Fukushima was a skilled fighter, trained in martial arts since he was a young boy. But Will was trained _defender_, one of the best of his class at the academy. He was also not trying to kill his opponent, just wear him out. Their goals were different, at cross purpose, so Will could use Fukushima's aggressive position against him.

But that would be overly simplifying. They fought for damn near an hour before the suited men and women stepped into the clearing and leveled their guns at them. Neither Will nor Fukushima were particularly interested in dying, so they fought, if briefly, together. It didn't matter. Even the edge of their fighting skills made no different against twelve armed opponents.

And then he was here, in a chair, tied, and having a bag pulled off his head. He was sitting in an empty warehouse with blacked out windows, and only a few lights showing dozens of people standing in rows behind a wooden chair with a woman sitting in it. She was a tall, buxom woman with a leather jacket and pants over a white shirt bearing foreign symbols in rows across her chest. Will suspected they were middle eastern in origin, but he couldn't pin down exactly where. She had long red hair and a sculpted face that looked largely bored as it gazed down upon Will.

And Fukushima, he realized, slumped in a chair, just as tied down as he was. It was good to know they were once again on equal footing.

"Hey," said Will, trying to play it casual. He had a pretty good idea who he was sitting in front of, at least, if he considered the pictures from the sixties of Atomic Andy to be horribly unflattering. The woman before them bore passing resemblance to them, and yet, she was somehow more refined than those photos. Her curves were just that much curvier, her skin that much more flawless, her eyes – even bored – that more intense.

She had to be pushing eighty by now but he'd be damned if he didn't admit she was sexy.

"Logan," she said, coolly. "I understand you are responsible for the breakout."

"More or less," said Will. "It was a two man job."

"But you planned it," said the woman.

"Lot of good it did me," said Will. "What are you? Interpol? GJ East?" He narrowed his eyes at her shirt. "Mossad Collections?"

The woman laughed. "Yes, I've embraced my herbrew heritage."

"So what are you?"

The woman raised her head and looked down upon Will. "We're interested in you."

"Apparently," said Will. "Why?"

"Because of your interest in him." She nodded towards Fukushima.

"I don't follow," said Will.

The woman smiled and stood. She walked slowly around the two chairs as she spoke. "I like to think of myself as rather perceptive, Mr. Logan. The current generation of so-called 'villains' is horribly shallow, even those that should know better given their pedigree." She sounded particularly irked for a moment then came around to stand in front of Will again. "I am not like them. I don't care for the surface. I care for the things that are deeper."

Will frowned. "And you like what lies within me?"

"I am _intrigued_ by the dichotomy between your surface and what appears to be beneath that." The woman snapped her fingers and one of the uniformed women ran forward and handed her a small touch screen tablet. "It says here you grew up in Detroit. Orphaned at six. Bounced around the system getting into fistfights at school. Then joining graffiti gangs as a teenager, moving up to theft, larceny, and enforcement before your run-in with Global Justice as a member of one of Sheldon Director's stooges."

"Too crass for you, lady?" asked Will. He wasn't sure exactly what was going on here, but he figured sounding indifferent to his history was best.

"Too nonsensical, actually," said the woman as she handed the tablet back to the uniformed woman. "This is a person who never quite got a hold of his urges. Someone who kept looking for more flamboyant ways of standing out but only finding mediocrity. This isn't the history for the restrained convict with brilliance behind his eyes that I see before me."

"In fact," continued the woman as she moved back to sit on her chair. "It sounds _just_ like the sort of story you'd want to create if you wanted to prove someone was tough without actually being tough enough for someone to have heard of you before." She shook her head. "No, this is fiction." She waved off the woman beside her who quickly retreated into the lines again.

"All right," said Will, acknowledging he heard what she said but neither confirming nor denying. He needed to figure out a way to roll with this. Somehow the woman in front of him had figured out his story was bogus and he needed a new one before he ended up dead.

"No, this is your turn to speak," said the woman.

"What do you want me to say?" said Will.

"Anything you'd like," smiled the woman. "I'm not going to prompt you. That would make it too easy for you to lie again."

Will's eyes widened slightly before he could stop himself from reacting. He quickly frowned and looked down at his lap to hide his expressions. Years of GJ training spun through his head as he tried to determine the scenario that best fit his situation. Nothing came to mind that was even close, and he was left with two really bad possibilities: try to insist his story was true, or come up with a new one without the time to create the necessary paperwork trail to support it. Either one was bound to fail and result in a headstone with an alias carved upon it. But what other option did he have? How could he impress the woman before him that he suspected was Atomic Andy?

Long ago, Will's father – a naval officer – had told him the best way to make sure your story was consistent was to tell the truth. If lies were going to get him killed, maybe the truth would protect him?

"I'm ex-Global Justice," said Will, looking back up fiercely at the woman.

The woman, to her credit, didn't seem surprised. She simply curled the edge of her lip up in a slight smirk.

"Disavowed now," continued Will. "Dead as far as they're concerned. My past erased as far back as they can go to hide that I was once one of them. So nobody on the OLC questions why they threw me in their prison."

"Why were you in there?" asked the woman, still smirking.

"For being willing to go further than anyone else could stomach to see justice done," spat Will, trying to dredge up feelings of betrayal to make his words sound more honest. "Justice being a word that has been lost to paperwork and bureaucracy and fear. Fear of losing funding instead of lives. Fear of phantom threats instead of real ones."

Will scowled. "Fear of you," he said. "They know what you did, and they're terrified of it. They'd rather hide it than face it down. But not me. So they threw me in jail and erased my existence rather than hear what I had to say."

"And here you are," said the woman. She looked amused more than anything. "Here to kill me, are you? For your precious justice?"

Will shook his head. "I'm here to see what you have to say."

The woman sat up. "What I have to _say_?" She mock pouted. "That doesn't sound like conviction to me."

Will grimaced. "GJ is a relic, a product of an irrelevant age when the biggest threats in the world were governments. The world doesn't work that way anymore. There needs to be a new way."

"And you think being a criminal is the new cool?" asked the woman.

Will looked around the warehouse, at the uniformed soldiers in lines, unmoving, unwavering, all behind the woman. "I think SCHEME has been quietly taking over the other crime families in the world, the terrorist cells, the largest gangs. I think you've been amassing incredible on-the-street power. And yet the world hasn't descended into chaos. And the global crime rate hasn't gone up, it's gone down.

"I don't think you want to see the world burn," said Will. "So I'm curious what it is you do want."

The woman stared at Will intensely. "And if it's something you want too?"

"Then maybe I can help."

The woman's smile returned and she hopped up out of her chair again. With a wave of her hand, several of the soldiers behind her stepped forward and removed the ropes around Will's torso and freed him from the stiff wooden chair. Will rubbed his ribs where they had been pinching.

Then he looked down at Fukushima. "What about him?"

The woman walked up to Will. She was taller than him, he realized, though just slightly. It allowed her to look down into his eyes. "He's much more transparent than you, and a means to an end, besides. You'll see your buddy again."

Will grumbled something indecipherable.

The woman laughed. "Don't be that way, you may end up friends. Now! Let's find out if you like what you see." She held out a hand. "Andy Kelly."

Will hesitated for just a second after taking her hand. "Will Du."

Andy almost purred in response. "Yes, I think you will."

-( KP )-

_**PRESENT DAY.**_

Ron felt the world drift gently away and the dreamscape assert itself around him. He had gotten much better at controlling the transition now and he could do it while meditating or even briefly while standing in order to initiate channeling of someone else's skills. As it was, he was sitting relaxed in a chair in his room at home, in front of his computer. Normally he would be in bed, but he knew he was going to have work to do after he finished.

Opening his eyes, Ron expected to see the empty, blazing white road of the dreamscape in front of him, stretching endlessly into the Dreamtime Kingdom.

Instead he found a battle.

Amanda was there, holding up a hand defensively behind a silvery shield that was being attacked by what looked to be a ninja throwing a series of green glowing shurikens and darts. She looked angry as she held up the shield, constantly moving it back and forth to catch attacks that were curving to the side.

The ninja was dressed in black with bits of dark brown at the waist and cuffs and a tuft of black hair coming out the back of his head wrap. Any expression he had was inscrutable but he appeared to be relentless as he flung weapons faster than Ron had seen anyone at Yamanouchi do. He also seemed to be pressing forward with his attacks, until Amanda would suddenly take a step forward and fling a blue-white wave of energy towards him and he would have to flip backwards to avoid getting hit.

"Amanda!" yelled Ron as he ran to try and help.

Amanda looked at him in surprise and then held up her hand towards him. "Stay back!" she shouted.

The ninja suddenly stepped to the side and dashed in a blink of an eye forward to take advantage of the distraction. Ron tried to call out but even his voice was too slow compared to the speed of the attacker.

Amanda turned just as the ninja's long blade flung out and she raised her hands rapidly. The glowing road beneath her then distorted and bowed instantly, creating a tall ridge between her and the ninja, causing the latter's attack to be blocked.

With a raised fist, Amanda swung her arms around the ridge to try and grab the ninja, but he moved out of the way at the last second and swung down. Amanda's arm glowed brightly a split second before the blade reached her, and it richocheted off with a sound like steel striking steel.

The ninja then leapt backwards and into the air, flinging five darts behind him towards Amanda. She raised her shield again but one of the weapons got through and stuck her in the side. She shouted in pain.

"No!" yelled Ron loudly. He summoned his will and the Lotus Blade dropped off his wrist to form into a large green blade in his hand. It glowed brightly as he stepped forward towards the ninja.

The ninja, in turn, stared at the blade stiffly for a moment, and then, to Ron's surprise, turned and ran off the edge of the glowing path, jumping far into the air, and then diving into a dream sphere that was flying past.

Ron watched for several moments more, keeping the blade in his hands in case the ninja were to pop out of another dream, but after a minute, there was nothing. He turned to look back at Amanda and saw her nursing her side while leaning against the tall ridge in the path she had created.

Ron ran over. "Are you alright?" he asked as he dismissed the Lotus Blade and it returned to its watch shape.

Amanda nodded and stared at Ron's wrist. "Yeah," she managed. "This isn't my whole self, it's just a projection. It just stings, but it'll fade." She looked up at Ron. "That's quite at toy you have there."

Ron reached over to help Amanda back to her feet. "Uh, yeah, it's something I got on... uh, a training trip."

"It's an artifact," said Amanda, looking back at the watch. "A powerful one."

"It's usually a sword," said Ron. "But it's hard to carry around like that so I normally ask it to be a watch."

"You ask it?" asked Amanda. She whispered something that caused her hand to glow and she applied it to her to her side. The pained look on her face faded. "It's sentient?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Ron. He let go of Amanda's arm as she stood on her own. "It's never, you know, talked back to me or anything. But it does tend to follow me around."

"It's bonded with you?" asked Amanda. "I mean, you're its owner?"

Ron nodded. "A gift from the old, great Toshimaru. I think it just hangs around whoever is the current master of mystical Tai Shing Pek Kwar."

"Monkey kung fu?" asked Amanda.

"Yeah," Ron said, surprised. "You know it?"

"I used to live in Japan," said Amanda. "Well, the Japan of my universe. It's a Chinese art but pretty popular, especially in movies." She paused. "I don't know the technique myself."

"But there are lots of people that know it?" asked Ron.

"Oh, yes," said Amanda.

Ron frowned. "It's pretty rare in our world, or at least the version that I know is. There is only one other guy who knows it and he's... well, he's pretty crazy. He turned himself into a monkey to be a better master of the form."

"With magic?" asked Amanda.

"With surgery," said Ron.

"Oh," said Amanda. She winced slightly.

"Ack! Forget about this, who was that?" Ron said in sudden realization. He pointed off into the dreamscape.

Amanda shook her head. "I'm not sure, he got the drop on me while I was preparing the tools you'll need to cast the location spell."

"Did he say anything?" asked Ron.

Amanda shook her head. "I think he may have been watching us for some time. He might be after the Grimoire."

"The spellbook you wanted me to find?" asked Ron.

Amanda nodded. "It's awfully sudden for the attack to come right when we're about to look for it, and when I had the necessary components all laid out."

"Did he get any of them?" asked Ron.

"Unfortunately, he took part of one, but we can still work without it," said Amanda. "But more than ever I think you need to hurry and find it. If that book falls into the wrong hands it could be catastrophic."

"Woah, what do you mean?" asked Ron, raising his hands.

"It's a spellbook," said Amanda. "An old one, and one that contains magic not just in its words but in its pages. If someone with evil intentions got a hold of it, they might have the power to reshape the world."

"_Reshape the world_?" Ron's jaw dropped. "I-I thought it was just a book!"

"Books _can_ have great power," said Amanda. "Just like your watch."

Ron looked at his wrist and blanched. His mind was racing but not reaching any useful conclusions. "S-should you eve—"

"It's okay," Amanda interrupted. "We have the spells components and you have the ability now to draw those components from here into your world. I'll show you what you need to do you just have to do it, and then go where the spell tells you."

"Go?" asked Ron. "I have to get the book?"

"Yes," nodded Amanda. "And then bring it back here so I can get it."

"But I don't know how to bring something into the dreamscape."

"I will show you," Amanda said again. "This is what you've been training for. Casting a location spell is trivial, but drawing items from the dreamscape into the physical world is the problem. It takes concentration and skill, but you have those now. And we don't have time to wait anymore." She held open her hand and a crumpled up page of paper with a chunk torn out appeared in it with a blue glow. "Here."

Ron stared at her hand. "What is it?"

"It's a piece of the Book," said Amanda. "The only way you'll get a reliable reading with the location spell is by having part of the item you're looking for. I tore this from the grimore just in case this happened some day."

"If you knew this would—" started Ron but again he was quickly interrupted.

"You'll also need a conduit," said Amanda. She held out her hand, which contained a shard of ivory. "This is part of a Guardian Staff, a talon that enables magic to be focused. It will help guide you to the book after you've found it."

"What's a Guardian?" asked Ron as he reached out for the two items.

"We don't have time, I'll explain later," said Amanda. She held forward the items.

Ron cautiously reached out and wrapped his fingers around the ivory stick and the paper. His fingers felt ice cold as they touched the objects, like they were drawing the heat out of his body. The feeling subsided as his hands more firmly gripped the items but left a strangely hollow feeling in his core.

"I don't know..." started Ron, but wasn't sure where to begin.

"Please, your world is in danger," said Amanda. "If that ninja gets to the book ahead of me, the consequences could be terrible."

Ron swallowed. "I'll have to tell my friends about this. They need to know that the world is in danger."

Amanda eyed Ron carefully. "Alright," she said after a moment. "But be careful. There are people that you can't trust. People possibly in league with that ninja. You need to watch out for two people in particular."

"Who?" asked Ron. "How do you even know people in my world?"

"I don't," said Amanda. "But they're travelers, like me and you. They may have made it through into your world, and you need to be cautious." She looked around briefly. "There is a powerful witch named Aurora Sayer, who is easily the most dangerous person you'll ever meet. Avoid her at all costs."

"Never heard of her," said Ron.

"Good," nodded Amanda. "The second is her partner, a long lived fallen Guardian named Seth Vedas. He doesn't have Aurora's power but is an expert warrior."

Ron frowned. "Seth _Vedas_?" he said.

Amanda's eyes widened and then she nodded. "Yes. Why? Have you met him?"

Ron turned to the side. He wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or not. "I know a Dr. Rick Vedas," he said. "Maybe it's just a coincidence."

"I don't know, have you ever seen him fight or do magic?" asked Amanda.

"Not really," admitted Ron. "He kind of got his butt kicked in a fight once and was taken hostage by Gemini, so I doubt he's a great warrior."

Amanda nodded. "I wouldn't take any chances. Try to avoid him if you can. And watch out for anything suspicious."

Ron carefully nodded, and then looked down at the two items in his hands.

"Are you ready for the explanation?" asked Amanda. "You can't mess this up."

Ron felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest and found it hard to shake the creeping cold feeling in his arms. He wasn't sure he was ready for anything, but what could he do? The world was in danger and Kim never really hesitated in these situations to help people.

"What do I need to do?"

-( KP )-

Yori was beside Ron when he woke up, watching him carefully but with a frown on her face. He couldn't tell if she was upset or worried and realized neither were good things.

"Stoppable-san... were you practicing _sansaku no kyuumu_?" Yori asked.

Ron looked at her and nodded.

"You were very upset while you slept," she continued. "You were sweating and shaking. Is everything all right?" She knelt down beside Ron's chair and put her hand no his arm.

Ron looked at Yori. Her expression was filled with concern for him and the guilt of lying to her for weeks hit him like a load of bricks. She was sitting here, worried about him, and he'd been deceiving her because some strange dream mage told him to.

The same dream mage that just told him the world was in danger and she knew about – _she knew! – _the whole time and never said anything until now. He was listening to the advice of someone who lied to him, and now he was about to lie to Yori, someone who had been by him for a long time now, who had never doubted him.

"No," Ron said softly. "I think we're in trouble." He looked at his hands. In one was the crumpled paper and the other had the tiny shard of ivory. He wondered how they looked to Yori. Did they just appear when he woke up? Did they slowly materialize? What did creating something from nothing look like?

"What is wrong?" asked Yori.

Ron dropped the paper and shard into his lap put his head in his hands. "I don't know what to do," he said. "I thought I was becoming a better dreamwalker, I didn't know I was getting involved in something so _big_."

Yori leaned in closer. "Ron-kun," she said. "What happened?"

Ron rose his eyes and looked at her, staring deeply into her yes.

"There was someone else in the dreamscape," he started.

"Just now?" asked Yori.

Ron shook his head. "For a while now. She calls herself a Dream Mage, and she offered to teach me in exchange for helping her find something."

Yori's eyes widened.

"I didn't know what she was looking for until tonight," continued Ron. He shook his head. "It's a magical spell book. She says that it has the power to destroy the world." He swallowed. "And someone else is looking for it too, and may be close to finding it."

Yori looked slightly startled, but she didn't retreat. "Do you believe her?"

Ron frowned and felt his throat tighten. "I don't know." He looked away. "I don't think we can take the risk."

Yori shook her head slowly. "Where is the spell book?"

"I still have to find out," said Ron. He picked up the crumpled paper and the shard and held them in his hands. "I have all the ingredients to find out, but... what do we do once we know?"

"We tell Possible-san," said Yori without hesitation.

"Do you think she'll—"

"It does not matter," she interrupted. "We can tell her we just found out today. We do not need to tell her of the dream mage. But if you believe there is a chance this book is dangerous, we must do something."

Ron stared at the paper in his hands. "I'm sorry," he said. He wasn't sure why, he was just sure there was something he had to be apologizing for.

"Why did you not tell me earlier?" asked Yori.

"She told me not to tell anyone," said Ron. "She... I thought she was trying to help. Maybe she was. Maybe she still is. I just don't know, anymore."

Yori nodded. "Let us locate the book first, then we may decide who to give it to."

"Okay," agreed Ron, because it let him defer the decision to later. He gripped the paper in his hand. "Stand back. I don't know what this will do."

-( KP )-

**SIX WEEKS AGO**

Will stared down at the complex web of lines on the map before him and frowned deeply. He was staring at the network of SCHEME bases and operations and it was almost impossible to him that only six months ago this organization didn't exist. They practically had a larger footprint than GJ already, and organized in an efficient manner that allowed privileged information to flow quickly to the top and instructions back down with minimal delay. World governments could learn a thing or two from these patterns.

Behind him the perennially smirking form of Andy Kelley walked slowly past. She had finally let him back into her presence after a long two weeks of proving himself loyal to her cause. He had not had a hard time of it, just a patient one. She didn't ask him to kill innocents, or divulge GJ secrets, or even plan a heist. Just observe and report, over and over again.

First he was sent along with Reilly's South African team to correct a discipline problem with SCHEME-loyal clans. Then he was assigned to the Columbia excursion with Thomas and Thomas (unrelated) to find some scientist. Finally he was sent to London to monitor a meeting between Dykstra and the Prime Minister. Now he was back, in a posh hotel in Dubai, being circled by Andy as if she were a shark.

"These are your travel plans?" asked Will when she came around the other side of the table.

"Some of them," Andy admitted. She leaned over the table, across the map, and looked up at Will's stern face. "What bothers you about it?"

"You're everywhere," said Will, still sticking to the truth as much as possible.

Andy laughed and rolled onto her back, obscuring most of Asia and Oceana. She kept her eyes on Will. "I suppose you could say that. Rarely have I time to sit still and relax anymore." She rested her hands across her abdomen. "Too much to do, as it goes."

Will murmured an agreement and turned his eyes toward America and the three points marked therein. One was in Deleware, another in New York, and one in Middleton. He could guess at the reasons for the first two, the last one, however, made him nervous. His best guess put those dots six weeks out. He silently vowed to figure out what was going to happen there.

"Would you like to come along?"

Will frowned and moved his eyes east again until they met with Andy's. "Where?"

She smiled widely. "Everywhere." She sat back up and turned to put her delicate hands on the map. "There are lots of things to see out in the world, I'm sure you've only brushed the surface with your GJ assignments."

"Why?" asked Will.

"I doubt you were given a lot of sightseeing time while on the company's dime." Andy shrugged.

"No, I mean, why do you want me to come?"

"Aren't you bored?" she asked with a cutely demure look. "Playing snitch for my top level commanders can't feel very rewarding. I thought you came here to really be _part_ of something new."

"I didn't say I didn't want to come," said Will. "I asked why you want me to come."

She flashed her white teeth at him. "Employee satisfaction isn't a good enough reason?"

"No."

"Oh, fine," Andy rolled her eyes. "You are far too serious. Do you frown when you sleep as well?" She reached out and gently ran a finger across Will's furrowed brow. "You interest me, Will. Whether what you've told me is truth or fiction, you certainly play the part with conviction. I _like_ interesting people."

"You certainly have enough of them under your yoke," stated Will.

"Who? Stryker? _Fukushima_? Boring." She pushed herself up and strolled back around to Will's side of the table. "There are two types of people who work for me, those that I've conquered and know better than to resist, and those who flock to my power hoping to get a taste. But you, Will, _you!_ You are neither of those things. You don't want my power anymore than you fear me. You want to serve a greater cause."

Andy slid her hands over Will's shoulders and hung off to his right. "New things are so very special, and I don't want you to get away from me."

Will turned his head and looked at the crazy woman hanging off of him. "A toy is it, then?"

"Hmmm," she mused. "Perhaps. But that's not an insult. I wish to _play_ with you, that much is certain, but I think there is something to learn as well." She pulled herself closer until her eyes were looking directly into his and their noses almost touching. "What's really behind the fierce stare of Will Du, hm?"

"Nothing," said Will, softly.

"Hah! That's a lie. But I didn't expect anything different." She slunk off of him and sat on the edge of the table, crossing her legs and crinkling the map beneath her. "I feel I still have to prove myself to you, but _that's_ not going to happen with you off playing with my generals. So you're going to stay close from now on. A right hand man, so to speak. _After _your next assignment."

Will blinked. "My next assignment?"

"Yes," and this time Andy sounded bored. "Go chaperone Fukushima on his Japan bid."

"Chaperone?" asked Will. That was certainly different than how she described his earlier observe and report missions.

"That's right," nodded Andy. "He's got a contact with a group called the Shade there that we want working for us. They've offered a fairly agreeable bargain and we're going to take them up on it. I want you to make sure Fukushima doesn't get killed during the skirmish. You should be used to that after your time in prison."

Will scowled. He did not like spending time with Fukushima, especially after the escape. "Very well," he said, knowing he had to maintain appearances.

"Aw, don't pout, my dear," said Andy. "Go do what I ask and maybe I'll do something nice for you when we meet up again in Turin."

Feeling there was nothing more to gain, Will silently turned and headed for the doors.

-( KP )-

_**PRESENT DAY.**_

Kim rubbed her eyes while Ken walked out of the kitchen with coffee. "Where?" she asked. She took the cup handed to her and then turned to face Yori and Ron. "Ron, it's like, three o'clock in the morning."

"Germany," said Ron. "Specifically the... Zwinger in Dresden."

"Dresden?" said Ken. "East Germany, huh?"

"Not since the cold war ended," said Kim.

"Well, yeah," said Ken with a shrug. "Just wondering how an ancient artifact ended up in a bombed out castle."

"I don't know," said Ron. "I just know it's there now and we have to get it."

"And you know this how, again?" asked Kim, eyeing Ron and Yori suspiciously. They were standing very close together, almost defensively, and had remained that way since entering the house.

"Clues left behind in the dreamscape," said Ron, hesitantly.

"What kind of clues?" asked Ken.

"There are things left behind by other dreamwalkers," said Yori. "Ron has been searching them for who those people were. He learned tonight that a spell book was lost and how to find it."

"We came right away," said Ron quickly afterwards, almost speaking over Yori. "I think the book might be dangerous, and I'm worried there are others looking for it."

"How dangerous?" asked Kim.

Ron looked at Yori with a worried expression. "Very dangerous," said Yori, simply. "Master Sensei had warned me of the great power that lies in the dream, it is possible he was referring to books like this one."

"But it's not in the dream," said Ken. "It's in the real world."

"Which means anyone can get it," said Ron. "Not just a dreamwalker like me."

"Do we have to go right now?" asked Kim. "I mean, how long has it been there? Did the Nazis have it?"

Ron shook his head. "I can't tell. I used a location spell to find it, it only told me where it was, not how long it was there. Or how long it will be there."

Ken choked on his coffee. "A spell? Wait, you can do magic?"

"Yeah, the Mystical Monkey stuff, right?" said Kim, nodding.

Ron winced. "Actually, this is new magic I learned while... studying how to be a dreamwalker."

Ken's eyes went wide. "Can you do anything else?"

"Not... much more at the moment," said Ron.

"Possible-san, Ron believes this to be an urgent matter," said Yori. "Should we at least try to find it?"

Kim looked tiredly at Yori and then at Ron. "I really don't know how we're going to get to Germany if we're doing this. Without Wade, I haven't been able to get rides as easily. Maybe Dr. Rick could help? He's been nice about working with us in the past. I'd hate to make him fly out to Germany for no reason, though."

"Uh," started Ron. "Doesn't... Dr. Rick have his hands full already with Bonnie?"

Kim nodded. "That's a good point. I'm not sure off-hand who else we can call on. I'll have to do some asking around." She looked at her watch. "In the _daytime_."

"Every minute counts, Possible-san," said Yori.

"If you know something better, I'm all ears," said Kim. "I remember Yamanouchi being pretty resourceful."

Yori looked suddenly sad. "Things have changed," she said simply.

"Uh-huh," said Kim. "Well, we'll _all_ look, but we may have a little waiting to do."

"All right," said Ron.

Kim nodded, then turned to head back up to her room. When she was up the flight of stairs, Ken turned wildly to Ron and Yori.

"She doesn't know the school was attacked?" he said.

"I haven't gotten around to telling her," Ron said with a pained expression.

"Oh, dude, it's been over a month!" said Ken.

"I know!" said Ron. "I've just been... there just hasn't been... the time has..." he paused and then groaned loudly as he sat down into a nearby chair. "I'm screwing everything up!"

After a minute passed of Ken and Yori looking awkwardly at each other, she gently put her hands on Ron's shoulders and urged him to stand. "Let us see if we can find help to get us to Germany."

Ron wordlessly nodded and let himself be led out of the house.

Then Ken turned his gaze up the stair and slowly ascended him. He found Kim sitting at her computer searching online for information on Dresden, Germany.

"Hey," said Ken. "You were a little rough with Ron there."

"It's three AM," said Kim. "I'm still waking up."

"When I was your age, I didn't let sleep get in the way of doing what's right," said Ken.

Kim spun in her seat. "Was that what just happened? Was that the 'right thing' that woke us up and told us to fly to Germany?" She stood up and stared up at Ken. "Because it sounded an awful lot like a fever dream that Ron was convinced was real."

"Yori believed it," said Ken.

"Yori will do anything to get closer to Ron," said Kim angrily.

Ken raised his eyebrows. "Is that really what you think?"

Kim glared at Ken for a half minute before relenting and looking away. "No."

"Kim, are you jealous of Yori?" asked Ken.

"No."

"Because _you_ broke up with him," reminded Ken.

"I know."

"Like, only a month ago—"

"_I know!_" snapped Kim. "I know! I was there! I did it! I don't need to be reminded."

Ken bit his lip, but said nothing. He watched as Kim paced around the room with a scowl.

"Do you know Monique freaked out today?" said Kim.

"I would only know if you told me," said Ken with a head bob. "I'm ... I haven't been out much since we fought Shego to..." he decided not to continue on.

Kim stopped her circle and looked at her otherworldly clone. "How did we all get so screwed up?"

Ken chuckled lightly. "We were always screwed up. I think it's just more noticeable now. I mean, how normal is it to run around the world trying to stop landslides or megalomaniacs?" He sat down on Kim's bed. "You know, there was this world I visited while chasing Shego where you were ... like, Superman."

"A guy again?" Kim said weakly.

Ken laughed. "No... okay, more like Wonder Woman, then."

"Better," said Kim with a smile.

"So, you would think someone like us, with all the power of a superhero, we could clean up the world, right?"

"No?" Kim said.

Ken shook his head. "There is a bizarre balance in the many worlds I've seen, where good and evil are held constantly in check by each other. Good gets stronger, evil gets more resourceful. Evil wanes and good becomes complacent."

"It's not always that way," said Kim. "There have been dark times in our history."

"There have," said Ken. "But maybe we just didn't understand how the balance worked in those eras. Eventually things returned to equilibrium."

"If you call this equilibrium," pointed out Kim.

"All right, then," said Ken. "So what's got you off balance?"

Kim sat down in the chair again. "I'm putting them in danger," she said.

"Who?"

"All of them," said Kim. "My friends, my family, the people at school, randoms who get caught in the crossfire." She shook her head. "I put myself up as a target and now those around me are getting hit."

"This is about Bonnie?" said Ken.

"This is more than Bonnie," said Kim. "This is _everything._ I have the ability to do this, but do they? Should Felix ever have been in a position to be kidnapped? Should Bonnie? I dragged them into danger and never even asked. I should have gone on alone, like you did chasing after Shego."

Ken's mouth dropped open slightly and his eyes widened. "I'm... not..." he stopped.

"Not a simple answer, huh?" said Kim.

Ken took a moment to gather his thoughts and then smiled. "No, it is simple, Kim. I fell in love." He shrugged. "I'm here not to be alone, but to become part of something more than just me. I'm chasing someone else so _they_ don't end up alone." He looked down at his hands. "Maybe... maybe I should remember that more often. Just because she's... I know she's lonely too. I shouldn't be so quick to give up because she's lashing out."

"What next, though?" asked Kim. "We can't let Shego go unpunished anymore. What she did to Bonnie... even if its reversible it doesn't undo what she experienced. She has to be tried, and she'll probably go to jail." She sighed. "Where does that leave you, then?"

"Right there next to her," said Ken. "I came all this way to help her, I can't balk in the eleventh hour because it might not be fun all the time. And you can't either."

"I'm not trying to make Shego happy," said Kim.

"But you have reasons for what you do, don't you?" said Ken. "Yeah, you put people in danger, but those people don't hate you. They're working with you, they _want _to be part of this thing you started."

"I don't think Monique wants that," said Kim. "You didn't see her today."

"She's probably afraid," said Ken. "Fear isn't hate. It can be, but I doubt she really hates you. She probably senses your doubt."

"_My_ doubt?" said Kim.

"Yeah," said Ken. "You told me you quit for nearly half a year. Now you're back in it. Why?"

"Because..." started Kim and she grimaced. "I had to. People needed help."

"People needed help while you were recovering too," said Ken. "What made this different?"

"I thought... I thought she would change," said Kim.

Ken stared. "She?"

Kim looked at him. "Shego," she said. "After everything she went through, I thought she would be ready to accept my help. But she didn't want it. She... reviled it. She wants to be my enemy." She sighed. "I just don't know if I can be that forever."

Ken laughed and leaned back on the bed. "You're saying we're _both_ in this because of Shego?" He put his hands on his face. "The _same_ Shego, no less."

"No, that... that was just the start," said Kim. "I didn't try and rescue Felix's mom because of Shego. I did it because... because I like to help people. I want to help people. I just don't like them getting hurt because I'm trying to help them."

"You can't be everywhere, Kim," said Ken from the bed.

"I at least want to be there for my friends," said Kim. "And... maybe... some of my enemies too."

Ken raised his head to look skeptically at Kim.

"Bonnie, I'm talking about here," said Kim. "You're welcome to Shego."

"As long as we're clear," said Ken, and he rested his head back again.

Kim sighed again. "I still don't know what to tell Monique. She doesn't want to be rescued, she wants to be safe."

"You can't give her what she wants," said Ken. He dropped his hands to the side. "Even if you stopped today, it wouldn't give her safety. Tell her you'll be there when she needs you, and that's all you can ever do."

Kim looked at the cold cup of coffee on her desk. "That might not be enough."

"Then things will change between you two."

"I don't want them to."

"You may not have a choice. All you have are spoons and she wants a fork."

"Did that happen to you?"

Ken hesitated before answering. "It happens to everyone in time. You can't let it get you down."

Kim nodded silently.

"So, let's find a flight to Germany, huh?" Ken said, getting onto his elbows and looking across the bed at Kim. "We can both get out of our funk and be heroes again."

Kim laughed. "All right."

-( KP )-

The giant steel door leading into the underground complex hadn't changed much since the last time she had been there, but instead of the long shouting conversation with the faceless operator the door quietly slid aside when she pressed her hand to the keypad that served as a doorbell.

And this time, it wasn't Jennifer Cartwright that answered but Doctor Director herself.

"Kim," said the head of Global Justice. "It's rather early for you."

"But not, apparently, for you," replied Kim. "Do you ever sleep?"

"I try not to," Dr. Director said casually. "The nightmares you acquire in my line of work make it inadvisable. What do you need?"

"Travel to Dresden," said Kim.

"Ontario?" she said.

"Germany," said Kim.

Dr. Director nodded. "What's in Dresden?"

"Castles, museums, memorials," listed off Kim.

"Cute."

Kim studied Dr. Director's steeled expression. She looked even more tired than she did at the funeral. In fact, in Kim's eyes, she never really recovered from the bombing fully. Something had happened on that day, and maybe Will Du was just the final punctuation on her seemingly endless endurance.

"There's a villain thing going down there," said Kim. "I still haven't found Wade since the incident with the Shadow, and I need help getting over there. I thought that you might want to help. It might be a big deal."

"Believe me, you don't know what a 'big deal' is," said Dr. Director.

Kim considered that. "End of the world type stuff?"

"Happening every day," said Dr. Director. "Probably happening now."

"It is happening now, that's why I have to get to Dresden," said Kim.

Dr. Director sighed and idly began walking to the side. "I thought that Jennifer had made our stance on your activities clear the last time you were here."

"She did," said Kim. "You told me to choose. I've chosen."

Dr. Director turned to face her. "Chosen what?"

"To help," said Kim. "I don't really like the cost, and I want it to be lower, but I won't sit by."

"We can help with the cost," said Dr. Director. "But our help comes with a cost too."

"I've seen," said Kim as she stared at the eyepatch.

"I'm not going to cut off your finger in a ritual or anything," said Dr. Director. "But there are rules, and secrets, and you have to follow one and never talk about the other. That means doing what you don't want at times, and keeping things from your friends and family."

"I'm not signing up yet," said Kim, warningly.

"No, you have to finish school," said Dr. Director.

"And college," said Kim.

"We can help there too," said Dr. Director. "But, fine, when you're ready."

Kim stared. "So the offer is back again?"

Dr. Director nodded.

"And you'll help Team Possible get to Germany?" asked Kim.

Dr. Director smiled. "It would be my pleasure to fly you to Germany."

Kim stared as Dr. Director walked back through the giant doorway. "Wait, you? You personally?"

"I am not above getting my hands dirty, Ms. Possible," smirked Dr. Director as she walked out of sight.

-( KP )-

**FIVE WEEKS AGO**

Will looked over his shoulder as casually as he could to see if he could spot any more SCHEME operatives. None could be spotted, but it didn't mean there weren't any there on this high speed train from Paris to Torino. He reluctantly looked back to the seat beside him on the train, that had previously been vacant, but now held a very irritated looking Jennifer Cartwright.

She was dressed quite stylishly, Will thought, at least compared to how he last saw her back in GJ Prison. She had a black and red dress on that gathered over one hip and a rather large hat on her head that covered most of her face from prying eyes. When she pulled her sunglasses down, the glare Will received could have frozen volcanoes.

"Sir," said Will with a nod.

"Oh, I think we're past that at this point, Du," said Cartwright angrily. "I'm told you were involved in that soirée at Yamanouchi. A heads up would have been nice. Betty's getting the third degree from the OLC representatives from Tokyo."

"There wasn't an opportunity," said Will. He pointed quickly between himself and Cartwright. "Even this right now is a risk."

"I'm willing to take it to get some answers. What the hell happened? I haven't heard anything useful out of you in months."

Will looked at her like she were a child. "Infiltration takes time, you know that."

"Yes it does, and typically it involves a lot of waiting and _reporting_ back that you haven't made progress." Cartwright folded her arms and leaned into the side of her chair. "I don't think you've said anything since getting picked up outside of the GJ prison."

"That's because I don't know what game Andy is playing," said Will. "She knows who I am, or at least part of the story, but for some reason she keeps me around like a lapdog. She shows me half her plans – of that I'm sure, she's hiding a lot from me – but I'm not sure why. Maybe she's expecting those plans to get to GJ? Maybe she's just trying to impress me. I don't know, so I haven't said anything."

Cartwright stared at Will with wide eyes. "You need to back up a bit there, agent."

"I'm not an agent anymore," grumbled Will. "Did you forget?"

"Don't start that," said Cartwright. "You are not your cover. You took this assignment on to show you're the _best_ agent we have."

"Did I?" asked Will, honestly. "It's kind of hard to see it that way given you approached me while I was in the hospital having _already _assigned me my cover identity. Am I supposed to feel honored that my reward for taking a bomb to the face is to lose my life and spend two months in prison?"

"Your vigilance will save lives," said Cartwright. "This is what you always wanted, a chance to prove yourself. I'm very familiar with your file, Du, you were selected against hundreds of other agents to do this because of your dedication to GJ."

"I'm not my file anymore than I'm John Logan," said Will.

Cartwright grimaced and studied Will's face. "So what are you saying, Will? You don't want to do this anymore?"

Will looked away, across the aisle and looked out the window at the Italian countryside, speeding past.

"You going rogue on me, Agent?"

Will considered that question. He had no intention of supporting a dictator in her conquest of the planet, that much was certain. He would gladly give up his life and everything he's done to prevent that.

He was just having trouble figuring out whether the dictator he was stopping had fiery red hair or an eye patch.

"No," said Will as he looked back towards Cartwright. "I'm just trying to be cautious. Andy is clearly testing me for something. Whether that's loyalty or resolve or restraint, I'm not sure, and I'm hesitant to feed you plans if in the long run it just locks me out of getting the big picture."

"Andy Lipsky, you're referring to?" asked Cartwright.

"Yeah, though she's using her maiden name now, Andy Kelley." Will shuffled in his seat slightly. "And she's young. We suspected she might have stolen Shego's youth, and I can tell you she absolutely did. She looks to be in her twenties, at the prime of physical fitness and..." he stopped himself. He wasn't sure he wanted to admit the next word he was about to say. It was a little embarrassing that he so quickly thought of it.

"And what?" pressed Cartwright.

Should he say it? It was part of the problem he was having right now, but did Cartwright need to know that?

"Agent?" Cartwright prompted.

"Attractiveness," said Will, finally. "She's very proud of her appearance, and she flaunts it frequently. Especially..." he sighed. "Around me."

"Around you?"

"Yes," nodded Will. "She's clearly flirting with me. Constantly. I'm not sure why."

"She's over sixty, Will," reminded Cartwright.

"She doesn't look it," said Will. "She's not just younger, she's back to how she looked as a villain. Tall, sculpted, intelligent. Whatever the Khan-Clasp Inhibiter did to her has been completely undone and then some."

Cartwright was silent for a moment. "And then some?" she repeated. "Will, are you concerned about being compromised?"

Will growled and looked away. "That's a simplistic view of what's going on. It's possible she's engaging me in some sort of psychological warfare. Giving me privileged access to see what I'd do, then turning up the stakes periodically to further tempt me."

Cartwright sat forward and put a hand on Will's arm. It felt warm but firm. Perhaps the only comforting thing he'd ever seen her do. "Take her out, Will."

"I can't do that," Will shook his head. "There's no telling what that would do to her organization. It's possible it would continue to operate without her. I haven't seen enough yet to figure out what it will take to usurp the chain of command so I can disband SCHEME. At this stage it could be very dangerous."

"It's worth the risk," said Cartwright. "The chaos that would result could be leveraged with strategic attacks on each of the SCHEME bases."

"There aren't enough people we could leverage for such a thing," said Will. "There are too many bases, too many well equipped generals. You couldn't get them all, and what would be left could regroup and counterattack." He shook his head. "No, it's too dangerous."

"We can't leave her alone," said Cartwright. "And we don't want to lose you."

Will looked down. "It's not a matter of losing me, it's about doing the _right thing_." He glanced at his watch. "I will use one of the drops next week to provide you as much information as I have. _Please_ be careful how you use it or I might lose my head." He looked back up at her.

Cartwright nodded slowly. "I'm worried about you."

"I'm still a professional," he said. "I agreed to this, I'll carry it through. Just don't expect me to be giddy."

Accepting the finality of Will's last statement, Cartwright got up again and walked back the way she came towards the front of the train. Will sighed deeply, more than a little distressed over what was going on. He would never be comfortable with all the layers of deception he was engaging in, he only hoped things would get easier soon.

A pair of hands snaked their way onto Will's shoulders and gently squeezed the flesh beside his neck.

"You are so _tense_, Will."

Will looked up quickly to see Andy looking down at him from above his seat. She was smiling widely at him then licked her ruby lips in a predatory fashion.

"Sit down," said Will harshly. "Someone will see you."

The hands left his shoulders then Andy swung her hips around the row of chairs and sat in the seat that Cartwright had just minutes ago occupied. She lifted her long legs and placed them across Will's lap, pressing her back against the window. Her pleased smile was aimed squarely at him.

"Did you tell her what we agreed upon?" asked Andy.

Will closed his eyes. "Yes."

"Good boy," said Andy. She played with something in her fingers that looked like a small black coin. "I knew you had, of course, couldn't leave these things to chance, but I'm glad you were honest with me." She held up the black disc between two of her fingers and showed Will. It was a bug.

Will's eyes widened and he immediately reached up to feel his collar... where Andy's hands had just been moments ago. She was listening to the whole thing, he realized.

"I would like to hear more about how attractive I am, though," smirked Andy.

Will growled and looked away. He felt Andy's legs shift on his lap and then her high heeled foot was pressing against his chin and directing his face back towards her. He tried not to openly seethe at the action.

She seemed to get off on his restraint. "You are easily the most fun toy I have _ever_ found." She blinked slowly at him. "Much better than that moron, David." She took her hand and ran a long finger town the edge of her face and to the chin. "Almost makes me want to repeat past mistakes."

"I'm no Captain Fantastic," said Will with a frown.

"No you're better," said Andy. She lowered her foot and crossed it over the other leg on his lap. "What acclaim can you give a hero who never had it within him to know anything better? David was an idiot. He couldn't comprehend anything other than his pure ideal of honesty and justice. He did what he _did_ to me because he couldn't understand why anyone would want to be anything other than smiling morons."

"But you, my dear," continued Andy, annoyingly. "You know what you're doing and all the ways it could go very wrong and so, very, _very,_ right. Your devotion to good is so much better knowing how much evil you could cause trying to achieve it. Just watching you internally justify your treason is erotic."

"You're deranged," said Will, unable to hold himself back any longer. "And I'm _not_ on your side."

Andy laughed, loudly and delightfully. "Oh, yes, yes I know! Isn't it grand? You're _not_ with me, not yet anyway, and yet I was able to get you to lie to your only friend back at GJ. What does _that_ say about you?"

_That I'm going to hell_, thought Will.

Andy sat up and moved forward to sit directly on his lap and wrapped her arms and legs around him provocatively. She put her lips to his ear and whispered. "If I ordered you to come to my bed, would you do it? For _justice_?"

Will shivered at the thought. He hoped it was out of disgust and not...

Andy leaned back to look at his face. "You don't have to answer. I'd rather not know." She swung her legs around once more and finally sat normally on the seat beside him.

"Now," said Andy. "Let's talk about that GJ prison again."

Will frowned. "Why?"

"Because that's our next stop," she said. "I need to make a withdrawal."

-( KP )-

_**PRESENT DAY.**_

Monique lingered outside of the classroom trying to look as casual as she could and, in her opinion, failing utterly. It was hard to look anything other than suspicious when you were putting all your energy into looking normal.

An excruciatingly long time later, the final bell rang, and students began flooding the halls once more, masking her presence quite effectively, and giving her a chance to slip into the classroom without drawing too much attention to herself.

He was sitting there, quietly writing in a notebook, as the afternoon light poured over him with a rustic orange that seemed so appropriate. He had a slight frown as he wrote, as if he were slightly struggling to move the pen in his hand. It was the only wrinkle on his clear and sculpted face.

Monique swallowed and got ready to step forward from the doorway over to the desk—

"What are _you_ doing here?"

Monique leaped in surprise and nearly tumbled as she got away from the voice suddenly in her ear. She turned towards the doorway to see Bonnie Rockwaller, full on gray and looking near ninety, standing there, with her hand on her hip and her lip curled up in a sneer. It was obvious her attitude hadn't adjusted with her body's decay.

"I-I'm—" stammered Monique.

"Now, now, be polite, Bonnie," said Rick soothingly. He stood and almost glided across the room to come to Monique's side. With a strong hand he helped the student back to her feet and looked at her expectantly.

"What can I do for you, Monique?" asked Rick with a smile.

"I-I was..." she started and then couldn't get her brain engaged in time. "I wanted..."

"Geeze, get it together, girl," said Bonnie, looking bored. "I'm not getting any younger."

Rick laughed quietly and then nodded at Monique. "Take it easy. What's wrong?"

Monique looked between Rick and Bonnie, and found herself completely unable to speak about what she wanted. She began to sweat at her own ineptitude and resigned herself to failure.

"I was wondering if you knew what happened to Kim this morning," said Monique, slowly regaining her composure. "She and Ron are both missing today and I know you are involved in her adventures sometimes."

"Not today, unfortunately," said Rick with a smile. "I do know that they've gone to Germany for something, but I didn't get the details."

"They're safe, though, right?" she asked.

"Far as I know," said Rick. "They're probably still flying given the distance."

Monique nodded, at least partially relieved to know Kim hadn't gotten caught in some villain's trap. It didn't little to relieve her _other_ anxiety.

"Is that it?" said Bonnie. "All that hemming and hawing over little-miss-perfect?" She scoffed. "What? Were you jealous that maybe she and the buffoon eloped, leaving you behind?"

"Bonnie," warned Rick.

"No—" started Monique but she didn't get more than a syllable out.

"Got a thing for the mad dog mascot, all rabid and clumsy?" continued Bonnie. Then her eyes widened. "Or maybe not! You've got it bad for the hero, don't you? Hoping she'll swing down and rescue you from the doldrums of your boring, mediocre life!"

"Bonnie!" Rick said sharply, but he wasn't the only one.

"Damn it, Iras, knock it off!" Monique said angrily.

Bonnie looked a little shocked. "Who did you say?" she said. "You do know who I am, right?"

Monique felt mortified and stared with her mouth open.

"What did you say?" Rick asked, his eyes wide.

Monique took a step back. She couldn't believe she had just said that. "I-I'm sorry," she said, and then retreated further. "I need to go." She turned quickly and raced out the door, ashamed. She had to get her head back together. Mixing her dreams with reality was a dangerous sign and she hoped she hadn't just revealed too much of her recent feelings of insanity.

-( KP )-

It was night by the time the Global Justice jet landed in the courtyard of Zwinger palace in front of Dresden castle. The tourists had long left for the day and some advanced calls from Dr. Director had kept the local security from panicking. Though they did rush out to make sure everyone was who they claimed to be.

With the commotion in the courtyard it was almost an hour after they landed before Kim, Ken, Ron, Yori, and Dr. Director entered the castle.

"Can I look forward to so much slowdown as an agent of GJ?" asked Kim as they entered the quiet foyer.

"Without a clear and present danger to respond to it's not easy to get hundreds of Saxons to lower their guard," replied Dr. Director. "Speaking of which, where are we going, and what are we here to find?"

"I thought you were going to follow our lead," said Ken.

"I'm not even sure who _you_ are," said Dr. Director. "And following your lead is why we're here. Now I need to know what we're trying to do so I can help."

Kim turned to Ron, who was standing close to Yori... again. "Ron?"

Ron nodded and pulled the shard of ivory out of his pocket and held it in front of his lips. He blew gently across the top causing it to glow blue-green and then a trail of glittering dust flew off down one of the long corridors.

"_Magic_?" Dr. Director suddenly said, alarmed.

"That way," said Yori, pointing in the direction of the glowing dust. The group started moving quickly down the halls following the trail. Dr. Director ran up to Ron and grabbed his shoulder.

"You know magic?" she said with a scowl.

"Sure," shrugged Ron.

"_Who taught you?_"

"Shh!" hushed Kim as she watched the dust turn a corner and then went up a wide staircase. She pointed up and continued to lead the group at a slightly slower pace. "We don't know if anyone else is here, and we don't want to alert them if there are."

"I think the show outside sort of ruined that," said Ken.

"Where did you learn magic?" said Dr. Director to Ron.

"I just learned it," said Ron, evasively.

"Where?" Dr. Director said sharply. She looked up at the glowing dust in front of them. "What is it we're looking for?" This time she looked at Kim.

Kim paused in her ascent and looked back at Dr. Director. "A book," she said.

"A _magic _book?" Dr. Director hissed through her teeth. She looked quickly between Ron and Kim and then growled. "We need to stop. We need to get Rick here."

"Dr. Rick?" said Kim, surprised. "Our _teacher_?"

"He knows this stuff better than anyone," said Dr. Director.

"What stuff?" asked Kim. "Old books."

"Magic?" asked Ron, eyes widening. "He knows magic?"

Dr. Director looked at Ron with a suspicious stare. "_Where. Did. You. Learn?_"

There was a sudden crash from further up the stairs and everyone stopped and turned towards the sound.

"Hurry!" said Yori as she leapt impossibly high and started running in the direction of the dust. The rest of the team quickly followed afterwards.

They reached the top of the staircase and then ran through several more halls before entering a large sitting room that was being used as a showcase for old weapons. On the opposite end of the hall from where they entered were three people dressed as ninjas. One was pointing at the other two who were clustered around a fallen display case that had shattered and sent glass everywhere. In the debris was a velvet covered stand, a gold dagger, and an old book with an ouroboros on the cover. The cloud of glittery dust was floating idly overhead them all.

"You fools!" yelled the one pointing before his head turned towards Kim and the others. The ninja straightened his back and took a step backwards.

"Stoppable!" yelled the ninja angrily. Then he pointed back at the book. "Grab it and go! I'll take care of them."

Then suddenly nine more ninjas dropped from the ceiling.

-( KP )-

"Get the book," said Kim as she ran towards the clutch of ninjas. She was immediately swarmed by the nine newcomers before Ron, Ken, Dr. Director, and Yori caught up and took some of the heat off of her. Still, she found herself facing three of them on her own, and it was taking all her effort to stay on top of them. She couldn't advance closer to where the cloud of glowing dust was.

Dr. Director and Ken ended up back to back fighting an additional four ninjas.

"I hope I can trust you," said Dr. Director as she eyed up their attackers.

"Hey, I'm a Possible, when have we done you wrong?" asked Ken.

The two quickly rolled and began engaging the ninjas on opposite sides of where they were standing, helping them get the sudden advantage in two to one odds.

-( KP )-

Ron and Yori found themselves with yet three more ninja, plus the vocal leader, who had not actually said anything more since instructing them to get the book.

"I think this was the one from the dreamscape," said Ron to Yori.

"Then we must make sure he does not get away," said Yori.

The leader quickly jumped between Yori and Ron and turned his attention to Stoppable, adopting a fighting stance that looked very familiar. Before Ron could say anything, the ninja was attacking, and he was backpedalling to keep from getting his neck crushed.

Ron quickly tried to come up with someone's abilities to channel to fight off the ninja, but his mind was blanking, being kept too busy dodging to think of someone. The easiest would be Yuudai-sensei or Yori, but both of the techniques he remembered required weapons he didn't have.

Ron caught a kick in the gut and flew backwards into another display case, knocking the winds out of him and causing the pedestal to fall and shatter.

Yori saw Ron get hit but with all three ninjas on her, she was having as hard of a time as Kim trying to press any advantage.

"These are Shade ninjas," said Yori between strikes.

Ron rolled backwards to avoid a downward strike from the lead ninja. "Oh man, again?" He flipped back onto his feet and held his hands defensively in time for one of Kim's ninjas to suddenly come flying at him. Ron rolled as best he could with the attack in time to be hit in the back by the lead ninja's forward assault.

"Ron-kun!" yelled Yori as she swept the leg of a ninja kicking at her, and then flipped backwards onto the shoulders of another ninja. She slammed her foot into the ninja's head and then leapt down to come to Ron's defense.

The two stood close by and held their guard as the ninjas circled them.

"I don't know who to channel," Ron said without taking his eyes off the one Shade ninja and the lead ninja in front of him. "Everyone I can think of needs a weapon and I don't have one."

"Ron-kun," Yori said patiently. "We are standing in an armory." She then struck out, and kicked one of the ninjas into a nearby display pedestal causing a half dozen swords and knives to fly out.

"Oh, right," said Ron, just as the lead ninja launched a fierce attack at him. Through a flurry of blocks and attacks Ron found himself knocked onto his back again, but fortunately that put his hand right next to an old, gilded shortsword. It wasn't exactly right, but he figured he could make it work. He grabbed it and reached out to touch the dream.

-( KP )-

Kim flipped over a nearby ninja and kicked him towards one of the others sending them down in a heap. She used the break to duck under an attack from the third ninja and ran over to where the glittering dust was hanging. She found the shattered glass and toppled podium, but the book was gone.

She looked up and quickly scanned the room to try and catch a glimpse of where the ninjas had gone.

"Through the door!" yelled Dr. Director while she was punching one of the ninjas attacking her. "To the east!"

Kim didn't hesitate. She ran as fast as possible through the door and into a series of rooms filled with displays. On the far end she saw the two ninjas leaping from case to pedestal heading for one of the large windows.

"Stop!" Kim yelled as she ran between the displays to try and catch up.

One of the ninjas did indeed stop, but only to turn and run back at Kim while the other kept hopping.

They met near the center of the room with Kim launching a flying kick and the ninja blocking her with his arms and turning it to the side.

Kim landed firmly and then turned to try and get around towards the window. The ninja chased after her and after a few steps punched her in the back, causing her to topple forward and catch herself on a display. Kim quickly wrapped her arms around the glass case and pulled.

The dome pulled lose and Kim lifted it just in time to smack aside an incoming punch from the ninja. She then hefted the glass just a bit higher and tossed it towards the ninja.

The ninja tried to catch it instinctively and fumbled briefly with the oversized clear rectangle before Kim kicked him in the gut and he fell to the ground with the display crashing on top of him.

Kim turned back to the window but didn't see in the ninja anywhere.

-( KP )-

Ken swung wide on one ninja and expected a strike from the side so he turned quickly, but the hit never came. By the time he looked up, the two ninjas he was fighting were retreating through the doorway that Kim had run through.

He looked back to Dr. Director and saw her handcuffing an unconscious ninja to a heavy piece of furniture with another already tied up in an armchair.

"Where did you get rope?" Ken said, a little stunned.

"I like to be prepared," said Dr. Director.

"I highly doubt you were a girl scout," said Ken.

Dr. Director just grinned.

"They're getting away!" yelled Yori as she ran past and after the ninjas Ken had been fighting.

Ken looked over at Ron to see him holding off the remaining five ninjas on his own while holding a gold sword with the top third broken off and the lower half bent askew. He was spinning the blade around almost in a dance as he knocked aside the attacks of the Shade ninjas and tried to press forward against the lead ninja.

"Go after the book," Dr. Director said tersely. "I'll help Stoppable."

Ken hesitated but nodded and then followed Yori.

-( KP )-

Ron felt Yuudai-sensei's skill through his hands as he further increased his speed to keep the Shade at bay. The lead ninja was the one who had been following him, had attacked Amanda in the dreamscape, he had to know something important, if Ron could only capture him.

Unfortunately, he found himself severely limited by the sword he had picked up. It was clearly decorative and had far too much gold in it to be very useful in a fight. It had snapped immediately and Ron had done his best with what remained, but without a decent weapon, he was not going to be able to win a six on one battle.

Then a shot rang out and one of the Shade ninjas fell.

Almost the whole group turned in the direction of the sound and in that second, another shot echoed through the room and a second ninja collapsed with a loud grunt.

Dr. Director held her gun steady as she approached the battle. "Who wants to be next?" she demanded.

The three standing ninja looked between each other, and the lead ninja, and they all, simultaneously scattered into the shadows to escape. Dr. Director let off several more shots but none were caught.

Ron glared at Dr. Director. "We needed him!" he shouted. "The one who talked!"

"I thought the book was the goal," said Dr. Director, coldly.

"But we don't know who they are, or what their plan is," said Ron.

"Then we have these four," said Dr. Director. She pointed to the two ninjas holding their knees on the floor and the two tied up in the back of the room. "Don't worry, these are riot bullets. Non-lethal."

Ron stared down at the two ninjas and gradually let the channel of Yuudai-sensei go. "I had them."

"You were wasting time," said Dr. Director. She returned her gun to her holster.

Ron's eyes lit up. "Kim!" He turned and ran off.

-( KP )-

By the time Dr. Director and Ron caught up with the rest of the team they were standing outside in the courtyard again staring up at the sky.

"What happened?" asked Dr. Director. She looked around. "Where's Kim?"

Yori and Ken pointed up at the sky. Dr. Director turned to look in that direction and could see a helicopter flying away over the city.

She narrowed her eyes a bit and could barely see something dangling from a cord off the bottom.

-( KP )-

Kim gripped her hairdryer tightly against the sheer winds that were blowing her back and looked down at the city hundreds of feet below.

"Okay, not the best plan," she chastised herself.

They were flying so quickly over the city that the motor in the grapple gun couldn't pull her up, so she was stuck at the end. At least until they slowed down enough that she could try again.

She reached up to grab the braided cord directly to see if she could pull herself up. The winds jerked her around enough that she almost lost her grip completely and clutched to the hairdryer for safety. She was stuck. And her arms already ached.

Suddenly the helicopter dipped and started heading downwards towards a park. Kim looked up the cord and saw that the cabin door to the helicopter was open and a man with dark hair and grey suit was standing there, one foot on the landing skid, looking down at her. She didn't recognize him but he stared down at her for several moments.

Then he ducked partially back into the cabin and pointed downwards in a dramatic fashion. When he pulled his head back out of the cabin he was holding a pair of cable cutters.

Kim swallowed, and tried again to pull herself up to no avail.

The man brought the cutters down to the grapple line and then waited as he looked down from the helicopter at the terrain below.

Then suddenly he gripped the cable cutters with both hands and sliced through the grapple line.

Kim felt herself in freefall and quickly flung the hairdryer aside and tried to spread out her body to help increase drag. She was too close to the ground to use her parachute, she could only hope—

With a smack she crashed into a lake awkwardly and plunged down under the surface. She fought her screaming muscles to swim upwards and broke the surface with a huge gasp of air. She pushed her mop of wet hair out of her face and looked up to see the helicopter flying higher into the sky and away from the city.

-( KP )-

**FOUR WEEKS AGO**

With a heave, Will pulled his target out of the cell and onto his feet before the electronic doors had a chance to reset and close again. Behind him, Will could hear the chaos of guards and prisoners in combat, the collateral damage of releasing his target that would provide the cover necessary for escape. Checking his watch for the timing, he noted that he had about eighteen minutes to get outside the perimeter before he missed his ride.

_Too long_, he cursed to himself silently. He had wasted too much time trying to avoid killing guards and was now in danger of missing his window.

"Excuse me, young man," said the prisoner in Will's grip with contempt.

"Stay close to me," Will instructed, staring down into the black beady eyes of Dr. Drakken. "Otherwise you'll end up back in there."

"I don't _take_ orders from peons," said Drakken. "I _give_ them."

"Then this will be a learning experience for you," said Will. He then yanked on Drakken's collar and pulled him down the corridor. The doors slid loudly close with the screech of metal against metal but most of the prisoners had already fled and joined the battle in the quad.

Will slid against the wall as he reached the intersection that led to that open brawl. They were not going to go that way, where it was certain the guards were going to open fire. Will had discovered another exit through the monitoring room, which was their ultimate destination, but it required going past the west guard station, which could be manned.

"I remember you," Drakken said suddenly. "You're the nobody who broke out of the cell across from mine."

"John Logan," said Will, knowing it was possible he was being recorded.

"Yes, well, I am Doct—"

"I'm breaking you out of jail," Will cut him off. "I _know_ who you are!"

"Uh- right."

Will peered around the corner in both directions. The riot was getting pretty active now, there were good odds that all the guards that were available had already left. If there were one or two left, Will was confident he could take them out non-lethally.

"So what's your plan?" asked Drakken.

"Stay quiet and stick close," Will said shortly. He couldn't believe he what he was doing. Breaking Drakken out of jail? He really must have lost his mind.

Drakken ducked and stayed close as Will turned the corner and headed past the guard station. There was a single man inside, watching the chaos unfold through a plexiglass window. He didn't seem to notice as Will and Drakken headed towards the monitoring room.

"I meant what do you want me for?" asked Drakken. "What's the scheme?"

Will looked back at Drakken, a little unnerved by his use of 'scheme.' Did he know about his mother's organization? Was he testing the waters to see how much Will knew? Or was it just coincidence? He hadn't been given instructions on how much to share with Drakken, but he figured at least the broad details were going to become immediately apparent to him once they reached the extract point.

"I don't know," said Will. "You're going to have to take that up with your mother."

"My ... mother?" said Drakken. His expression was clearly one of confusion, the way his jaw hung slightly askew, his one eye was wider than the other, and his lips curled back in a panic.

"Yes, she's running this operation," said Will, and left it at that. Drakken was too perplexed to continue the conversation as Will pulled him through a doorway and scurried past a hall camera when it was pointed just enough in the other direction for them to appear only as a shadow against a tiled floor.

They reached the door to the monitoring room, a relatively well secured door given that it had feeds showing several key areas of the prison including the ramp to the surface. Any other prisoner would have to look elsewhere to get past this steel door and matching physical lock and keypad. But any other prisoner wouldn't have previously been a GJ agent who knew the maintenance password and had stolen several access keys on his way in an hour earlier.

Drakken, unfortunately, was still too boggled to be impressed by Will's handiwork as he quickly opened the door.

A trio of guards were sitting at the bank of monitors and controls when Will pushed Drakken roughly into the small room. The three guards immediately saw him and froze.

"H-Hey!" yelled the first one to get his brain in gear again and that was the one Will leaped out from behind the door to tackle first. The other two quickly scurried back as Will delivered two strategic punches to his target, first knocking the wind out of the poor man and the second knocking him silly to the ground.

"J-Jesus!" screamed one of the two remaining guards, but Will didn't spare him time for a second word. A moment later, the third guard had his face pushed against the wall and his baton pressed into the back of his neck.

"Who _are_ you?" asked Drakken after it was over.

"Someone well trained," said Will. He leaned close to the guard and spoke lowly and steadily into his ear. "Release the gangway door and blank the camera pointing at it and you'll survive this encounter."

"B-but that'll set off the alarm," stammered the guard, as much as he could be called one. The reason why Will had not hesitated to enter the monitoring room was because he knew that the 'guards' in here were technicians first, and guards second. They would have passed their physicals, but just barely, and wouldn't be inclined to put much effort into keeping fit. He was essentially beating on geeks with guard uniforms and he knew it, but this was the best path to take out of the prison to have a minimum amount of contact with any guards.

"I know," said Will. "It doesn't matter." He pulled the guard from the wall and sat him down on the center chair in front of the console. "Now, blank the camera."

Will released one of the guard's hands but kept the baton pressed firmly into the back of the man's head. The guard reached out and shakily pressed a button causing one of the screens above to turn black.

"Good. Now open the gangway."

The guard pressed two red buttons and a shrill alarm went off. Will nodded and the reached around and grabbed the edges of the guard's shirt. With a yank, he broke most of the buttons off and wrapped the ends of the shirt around the guard's arms and tied him roughly to the chair.

"Come on," Will spat at Drakken and left through the opposite door in the small room. They entered another hallway, this one colored in blue and white as opposed to the prison grey and green that the prison was decorated in. They had reached the point where GJ headquarters touched the prison complex, which meant security would be reduced from this point on.

Will grabbed Drakken's collar again. "We need to run," he said and then glanced at his watch. Only four minutes remained.

"Where are we—" started Drakken, but Will's yank interrupted him. They ran as fast as Drakken's short legs would take them. They had to cover nearly a quarter of a mile in four minutes, which would be a workout for any man, and probably behind the pale for Drakken. Will's yanking insistence, however, pulled the blue man along until the emerged onto the gangplank and ran for the surface.

They got two steps into the fresh air of the surface before the flood lamps kicked on and nearly blinded Will and Drakken. They staggered to a stop and looked up to see five lights, bright as sunlight, pointing down at them from the tall walls surrounding them on three sides. The silhouettes of dozens of armed GJ agents stood before the lights and jumped down to the gangway to surround the convicts.

"LAY ON THE GROUND," boomed a voice from above.

Will looked up and squinted to see if he could recognize anyone's faces in the light. Everything looked washed out and his eyes were still trying to adjust to the new brightness. He could barely make out Drakken next to him.

"'Fraid not," called back Will. Though he did throw down the baton he was carrying.

"_Doctor_ Drakken bows to NO MAN!" yelled Drakken.

"Zip it, Drew," said Will with a grunt. The vague shadow beside him moved as if it were now glaring at Will.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING, LAY ON THE GROUND OR WE WILL USE DEADLY FORCE," came the voice again.

Will sighed. He was hoping nobody had to get hurt beyond a few stunned officers. He had hoped he could escape into the night with time to spare. But he was too slow. _Too slow_.

"I'm sorry," said Will with earnest. He was, too. Now people would get hurt, because he couldn't manage to get into a prison quicker than he got out.

"Logan."

Will turned at the woman's voice coming from behind him on the gangway. He peered into the darkness and tried to make out the shape of the figure. He still couldn't see more than a shadowy blob. It wasn't necessary, though, he knew that voice anywhere.

"I didn't want to believe it," said the voice of Betty Director. "I had to see it for myself."

Will grimaced. It hurt him to hear Dr. Director speak that way to him. He once idolized her. Once.

"You're not supposed to know who I am," said Will. "Tell them to stand down. I don't want anyone more to get hurt."

The shadowy figure moved closer until he could almost make out his former commanding officer's eye-patch. "You honestly think I let anything go on without my knowledge? I thought Beverly could trust you. I thought you believed in what we were doing."

Will smiled. "I did. You're the one who changed." He looked at his watch. "It's time."

The sound was barely auditable over the hum of the lights, but Will knew what to listen for. With a crash, the flood lamps all cracked and broke at once, blanketing the area in darkness save for starlight and the distant beams from the surface GJ installation a few hundred yards away.

The area erupted with the sounds of chaos as GJ agents scrambled to fix the lights while their eyes betrayed them. The bright lights may have blinded Will and Drakken, but now that they had gone dark, they had blinded everyone else that was relying upon them.

With the swishing sounds of rapid legs and footsteps, Will heard the sounds of agents falling to the ground, unconscious in all likelihood, courtesy of the Shade ninjas that were the scheduled extract team.

"Will..."

He heard the voice of Dr. Director nearby, undoubtedly trying to reach out for him and hold him against whatever shadowy threat was neutralizing her agents. Will took a step away from the sound of her voice.

"Unless you're armed, you'll be fine," said Will. "I told you I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"You can never return from this choice!" yelled Dr. Director, angrily.

Will felt his heart skip a beat. The cool, calm and collected Dr. Director never got angry, never felt rage. This was something he'd never seen before. He felt guilty, but she was right. There was no turning back.

"The world is changing, Dr. Director," said Will. "There's no place for you in it anymore." He felt hands gently grab his arm and tug. He turned and followed the ninja who was guiding him through the dark.

"WILL!" screamed Dr. Director as they ran away.

-( KP )-

_**PRESENT DAY.**_

Dr. Director put the jet into autopilot and walked back into the cabin to witness a fairly somber scene. Ron and Yori were huddled in a corner, talking quietly, while Kim was wrapped in a large blanket and staring stoically ahead. Ken was looking out the window with a slight frown across his lips and rhythmically tapping his foot against the fuselage.

"I think," started Dr. Director as she tried to get everyone's attention. "That we need to talk."

"Do we have to do this now?" asked Ken, looking over his shoulder.

"We have several hours of flying to go through with just each other as company," said Dr. Director. "Once we hit the ground again we will all have work to do."

Team Possible looked amongst themselves then turned to Kim, whose head was just barely poking up above the wrapped blanket. She nodded quietly.

"First off," Dr. Director pointed at Ken. "Who is he really?"

"He's me," said Kim. "From a parallel dimension where everyone's sex is swapped."

Dr. Director stared. "He's you?" she said skeptically.

"You'll have to roll with this, I'm too tired to explain," said Kim.

"It's true," offered Ken. "I came here chasing Shego's soul after it was ejected by the Mantle of Tenoch."

"Her soul?" Dr. Director's skepticism hadn't relented. "So, she has one?"

Ken looked injured. "She's not that bad."

"Right," said Dr. Director. She looked toward Ron and Yori. "You two. What aren't you telling me? You knew who those ninjas were? Are they the same that sacked the Yamanouchi school?"

Ron nodded.

"They are the Shade," said Yori. "They were exiled many years ago from Yamanouchi by Master Sensei. They... returned last month and attacked the school. Ron-kun and I escaped with a few others."

"What?" said Kim, raising her head above the blanket. "Yamanouchi was attacked?"

Ron looked away.

"It was," said Yori. "We sought asylum at Middleton until the teachers could mount an offensive to retake it."

Kim's jaw dropped. "You should have told me, we could have helped."

"Our teachers told us not to return," said Yori. Her eyes started watering. "We weren't going to be... involved with taking back our home."

"Why?" asked Kim. "I thought you were Master Sensei's favorite student."

Yori got choked up for a moment and she buried her head in Ron's shoulder.

"Master Sensei is missing," said Ron. "He left the day before the attack. We ... we think he also attacked, but we think he managed to get away and is hiding."

"What happened?" asked Kim.

Ron looked towards Dr. Director briefly then back at Kim. "Someone... a dreamwalker, was disrupting Master Sensei's ability to meditate and enter the dream. He left the school to find out who it might be." He shook his head. "It was probably someone working with the Shade who wanted to draw him away before the attack. It might have been that ninja we just saw take the book. I think I saw him in the dreamscape."

"You saw him?" said Kim.

"What is the dreamscape?" asked Dr. Director.

"It's... another place, where dreams live," said Ron. "Everyone's dreams exist there and... Master Sensei was training me to go there and visit and manipulate dreams."

Ron looked down at his hands. "Through the dreamscape you can cross out of our world and into others, like the world that Ken comes from. I went looking for Shego out across the void and when I found her, I brought her back. I also... learned other things out there."

"Like what?" asked Kim.

"Like about the book," said Ron. "And that it is possibly powerful enough to destroy the world in the wrong hands."

Dr. Director cursed loudly and then paced in the small cabin. "Damn magic! Nothing good ever comes from it."

"There's... there's something else."

Everyone turned to look at Ron.

"I was warned," said Ron. "That someone evil might be pursuing the spell book and to watch out for them in case I ran into them in our world. I was told two people in particular. A witch named Aurora Sayer—"

"Hah!" laughed Dr. Director.

"And a warlock named Seth Vedas."

Dr. Director stopped and looked at Ron with a strange, pitiful look. "You were lied to."

"I was wondering if maybe Seth Vedas was Dr. Rick—" started Ron.

"It's not true," snapped Dr. Director.

"You said he knew magic," said Ron.

"He does," said Dr. Director tersely. "And he's not evil. He may, at times, be a horse's ass, but he's not evil. I don't know where you heard this warning but it's bogus."

"How do you know?" asked Kim.

Dr. Director made a bored expression at Kim and then suddenly looked a little surprised. After a moment she looked to the side and then out the window.

"Dr. Director?" asked Kim. "Did you look him up after the Mantle thing? Because it's pretty coincidental that he was involved in that magical artifact and now we're being warned—"

"I didn't need to look him up," interrupted Dr. Director. She turned to face the group again and leaned her back against the fuselage.

"Then how do you know?" asked Ken as he frowned.

Dr. Director frowned herself and after a moment spoke. "Because I used to work with him." She looked a little guilty. "He used to work for GJ."

"Really?" asked Ken. "Wow, what are the chances that an ex-GJ ended up right in the middle..." he trailed off. Then he frowned and looked at Dr. Director angrily.

"He's a plant," said Kim, with an equally angry expression. "But why plant anyone in Middleton? It's barely noteworthy except for one thing."

"You're there," said Ken, concluding the thought. "He was sent to watch you."

"To _protect_ you," insisted Dr. Director. "You draw more attention than you know."

"You didn't think to tell me?" asked Kim loudly. "Even _after_ I got shot?"

"You went to him... _voluntarily_!" said Dr. Director. "It was a positive relationship, it wasn't orchestrated by me. It was good for you, and after the Mantle, you needed people you could trust."

"But I couldn't, could I? He was working for you!" shouted Kim.

"He did me a favor but he _believes_ in you," said Dr. Director. "I couldn't pull him out of there even if I wanted to now."

"How can I believe that?" asked Kim. "What else aren't you telling me? Have you _ever_ been honest with me?" She stopped. "Wait. Rick had most of the Mantle. Did you know what it would do?"

Dr. Director hesitated.

"You did!" concluded Kim. "My god you're a piece of work."

Dr. Director shook her head. "We didn't... we didn't think she'd actually _put it on!_ All we knew was what happened the last time it was used but that was a unique case, it could have done anything."

"You let Gemini get it!"

"We were just as surprised by that entire event as you were!" said Dr. Director. "Or don't you recall my bloody body lying on a stretcher after we had been _bombed!_"

"So what did it do?" asked Ken, calmly.

Dr. Director looked at him. "What?"

"The Mantle, what did it do last time?"

Dr. Director sighed. "It's a long story."

"It's a long ways to the US coast," replied Ken.

Dr. Director took a moment to compose herself. "In short," she said. "Drakken's father was a superhero in the sixties named Captain Fantastic. He used the Mantle to go in search of information which he later used to create a device called a Khan-Clasp Inhibitor. Much later, Jack Hench stole plans for it and turned it into something _he_ called the Attitudinator."

"Drakken's father was a super_hero_?" said Ken.

"The attitudinator that was able to turn bad people good and good people bad?" asked Ron.

Dr. Director nodded. "The same one you were affected by."

"What did he do?" asked Kim.

"Captain Fantastic used it on Drakken's mother, a supervillain of that era named Atomic Andy."

Everyone stared.

"This 'hero' used a device to turn a villain good," said Ken. "Then _married her_?"

"This explains a lot about Drakken," said Ron.

"And that's it?" asked Kim. "No aging?"

"No," said Dr. Director. "We still don't know how that happened."

Everyone was silent for a few minutes as they digested the information.

"Anything else you hiding from me?" asked Kim. She watched Dr. Director look uneasily around the cabin. "Apparently so."

"We believe, though we don't know," started Dr. Director. "That Atomic Andy was the person behind the whole Mantle affair. And that somehow she stole Shego's youth, and is now at large and operating a criminal empire that calls itself SCHEME."

She looked down. "That's why we've been busy, why we haven't had time for you much lately, Kim. We've been doing everything we could to figure out what her motives are and stop them."

Dr. Director sat down and leaned forward on her knees. "That's why we need to start working together again. I... admit to being a little too protective of my secrets, but if that book is as dangerous as you say, we're going to need everyone on deck and ready to fight when it comes time. Or we may lose everything."

Kim was silent for over a minute. "Do you have any idea what she wants?"

"No," said Dr. Director. "She's... smart. She thinks many moves ahead, and we've lost... a lot of vital resources trying to outpace her. We might need a little Possible magic right now."

Kim shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "I need time to think this over. And to talk to the rest of Team Possible, and my parents and..." she trailed off. "I don't know."

Dr. Director nodded, then stood and started walking back to the cockpit. She stopped at the door and looked back. "For what it's worth... I did everything thinking it was for the best. For both you and the world."

Then she closed the door behind her.

-( KP )-

**ONE WEEK AGO**

Betty stared at the crystal glass in her hand, watching the light reflect off the ice cubes and through the brown liquid inside. She wasn't sure how many this was. Three? Four? It didn't make much of a difference. Tonight - just tonight - she'd let herself go, and pay for it tomorrow with a hangover she wouldn't medicate. This was her penance, for having the arrogance of the gods.

"Betty."

She looked up to see Jennifer Cartwright, back to wearing her tidy suits, her hair tied up in a pony tail, and standing beside her at the bar looking expectantly at her.

"Hey, Jen," said Betty softly.

"The great Dr. Director drinking herself away," said Jennifer as she sat down. "Why did you wait until _after_ I resigned to do this?"

Betty laughed ruefully. "If you hadn't resigned, I wouldn't have to do this." She raised the drink to her lips and drank it down.

Jennifer nodded silently and then waved down the bartender. "Sauvignon Blanc, please," she said when he arrived.

"And another scotch," said Betty, nodding only barely at the server.

Without a word, the bartender produced the two drinks and was off on his way. The bar they were in was attached to The Westerly Falcon in downtown Middleton, a high end hotel on the waterfront. It was well decorated, quiet, catered to a discrete crowd, and was the site of many sting operations when Betty was younger. The place was filled of both good and bad memories for her.

"So," said Jennifer as she stood. She motioned with her glass towards one of the booths in the bar area next to a large aquarium. Betty reluctantly stood and followed her to the booth as she talked. "What was the tipping point? Drakken? Will? The OLC having a conniption fit?"

"Richard," sighed Betty as she sat down.

"Rick?" asked Jennifer, sounding surprised. "What did he do?"

"He's training this girl," said Betty. "She got into it bad with one of Possible's enemies and ended up... well, worse off. Rick has become rather possessive of her recently."

"Ooh," cooed Jennifer, scandalously. "Jealous."

Betty felt her body sag. "Yeah."

"Wait, what?" perked up Jennifer.

Betty swirled the scotch in her glass around gently. How to even approach this subject with Jennifer, who could never understand? "I've seen him like this before," she said. "Right after he met Aurora. Must have been... I guess ten years ago?"

"Long time for us," said Jennifer. "Probably less for him."

Betty nodded. "Blink of an eye I'm sure."

"So what's the problem?" asked Jennifer. "Are you really jealous or just beating yourself up for something?"

"It's not like I'm still holding a torch for him," said Betty. She shook her head. "He's an... amazing man, but also severely flawed. We had a brief dalliance ages ago and it ended because we lived in different worlds."

"Sounds amicable."

"It wasn't," grunted Betty. "But we got over it. He's my oldest friend. I've said as much before." She sighed. "I just can't... help but think about when he looked at me like that."

"We all get older," said Jennifer, sipping her wine. "Except for Rick. Of course, he eventually gets bored." She sighed. "I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that one, you know. Is he immortal?"

"No," said Betty. "No just lucky and long lived. He told me once, in a weak moment, that he had _touched time_, whatever that means, and it had made him resilient to its effects. But I've seen him nearly die a couple times. He can be hurt just like us." She drank her scotch a little slower this time. "But it's not the age difference that drives him away. I mean, we're all young compared to him."

"Then, what? Dull conversation about the good old days?" Jennifer smiled.

Betty examined her glass again. "I think we fade, in his eyes."

"Fade," said Jennifer, unconvinced. "Meaning what?"

"We give up our passions," breathed Betty. "We compromise. I think he likes us best when we're being revolutionaries."

"Us?" asked Jennifer. "I assume you speak in the plural regarding the other girls Rick has used up and tossed aside? Because I have no interest in this sorority."

"Jen," said Betty, a little shocked at Jennifer's harsh tone.

"No, Bets," said Jennifer. "I can't be part of this pity party. You think we lose our convictions as we get older? I think we realize that dramatic flailing around accomplishes nothing and that real game changers use the system to their advantage." She frowned deeply. "You know what I think about Rick? I think _he's_ the child. He just wants to play with his friends who don't have eternity to wait to grow up. He's no sage. He has a perspective and I don't have patience for it."

She shook her head slowly. "I'm sure he was a great friend to you, I'm sure that he was once there for you in a way nobody else could be. That can still be special, but it's not now. Today we have bigger problems."

Betty swallowed and buried her face in her hands. She could see the reason in her words, no matter how much they hurt. She trusted Jennifer. She wanted to trust that she was right. But...

"Will," said Betty.

"Yes," nodded Jennifer, with a hint of sadness in her voice. "But I still have faith in him."

"You think breaking prisoners out of _our_ prison is just part of his cover?" asked Betty.

"I'm not sure if he's even under cover anymore," admitted Jennifer. "But I don't think we were wrong about Will. I don't think he's an amoral man. I think he believes in the same things you do. He's not evil. If he's truly doing this, if he's given himself over to SCHEME, I have to believe it's because he sees something in there that's familiar. He may not be working for us anymore, but he'll always be working towards greater justice."

Betty couldn't be so sure. "You really believe in that?"

Jennifer smiled. "I don't have the luxury of doubt. I gave up my career for him. I have to believe I'm right."

"Ugh," groaned Betty. She didn't want to think about that. "What will you do now?"

"I have other friends than you, Bets," said Jennifer. She sipped more of her wine. "I'll be employed. I won't be lost to the drifts."

"Well, I wish you luck," said Betty, and held up her glass. "To a brighter world."

Jennifer held Betty's gaze for a moment before raising her glass as well. "To Global Justice."

The two glasses clinked gently.

-( KP )-

_**PRESENT DAY.**_

Will climbed out of the helicopter once they landed in Brussels and then turned on the ninjas following him as soon as they were inside the hanger.

With a raised eyebrow, Will regarded the single ninja in the group that wasn't a member of Shade. "That sure as hell could have gone better!"

The odd ninja out scoffed. "Don't be cocky, boy. I had it under control, well before your little rescue stunt."

"Oh, were you going to run from Team Possible all the way here?" asked Will. "Andy doesn't like risks, she prefer certainties. And that was a hell of a risk you took."

"A calculated risk," reiterated the ninja. "They had to lead us to book anyway." He held up the grimoire. "In the end, we got what we were after, so I don't know what you're so upset about."

"You lost _five_ Shade operatives!" Will held out his hand. "Now give it to me."

The ninja handed over the tome and shook his head. "It's better off in my care. It's useless to anyone who can't breach the dreamscape."

"You're very wrong, and you're not the only one who knows how to do that," said Will as he slipped the book into a bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Now, I believe you have _other_ responsibilities to attend to."

"I'll find Master Sensei," said the ninja. "I missed him at Yamanouchi but I'm close on his trail. He's been hiding out in the Dreamtime Kingdom, somewhere in the Unseelie Empire."

"Why don't you look for his _physical_ body, it's bound to be less mobile," said Will dismissively.

"I can't search every cave in Mongolia," spat the ninja. "And he's certainly not sitting in a Starbucks somewhere."

Will turned away from the ninja. "Just deal with it, in a _less_ reckless manner."

"What about my payment?" called out the ninja.

Will paused, and then turned around, pulling a small scroll from his pocket. "Have you researched this? Because I don't think you're going to get what you think from it."

"Hand it over!" demanded the ninja.

"Very well," said Will. "But the Han is not exactly an ultimate weapon."

"I don't care," said the ninja. He pulled down his mask to look closely at the scroll, revealing his long face and sunken eyes. "The Han is just a tool, finding Yono the Destroyer is my goal."

Will pointed at him. "Just find Sensei first, Fiske." He walked off into the hangar, flanked by several of the Shade.

Monkey Fist grinned as he read the scroll. "Oh, I most certainly will."

-( KP )-

**OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO**

Iras rushed into the monument hall, looking over her shoulder every few steps, until she laid eyes on her Lady, fretting before the statue of Isis whilst Charmion held her robes with an expression of utter terror.

"My Lady!" Iras shouted as she came before the Pharaoh. "It is over. Antony is dead and Octavian's army marches forth!"

"And Caesarion?" asked her Lady Cleopatra.

"I do not know what came of him, my Lady," replied Iras, casting her eyes down in shame.

"He will be safe," came a familiar voice that Iras hated. The tall man with long dark hair stepped up from the stairs behind Iras and nodded. "Octavian means no harm to him or your other children, only Antony, and now you."

Iras stepped between the approaching mystic and her Lady, and nearly growled. "Vedas! You are not welcome here, demon!"

The man looked at her like she was an ant, but she held her ground. The strange man had brought nothing but shame to her Lady and Iras would not stand for it now, in their moment of crisis.

"If you care for the safety of your Lady, then you will step aside," said the mystic.

"I shall move the Nile before I trust you again!" Iras rebuffed.

"It is all right," said her Lady. "He may approach."

Iras felt the fire in her cheeks burn bright, but she could not defy her Lady. With fury in her eyes she stepped to the right and let the cursed man pass. He stepped up to the monument and took her Lady's hands in his and kissed them. It was a practiced routine, one he used to shamefully steal her heart and Iras hated him for it.

"My love," whispered the man. "This chapter is closed. We must flee."

Iras watched her Lady look sadly upon the man and then smile so earnestly it was shameful to watch. "I cannot abandon Alexandria."

"You are abandoning nothing," said the man. "There is nothing here anymore but death. Either at the hands of Octavian or your own if you choose to do what I imagine you are planning."

Cleopatra reached out and caressed the man's face and then kissed him on the forehead. Her look was filled with such affection Iras blushed. "You, Vedas, are my soulmate, and I shall never know greater peace than the days you were at my side. But Antony was my husband, and I loved him greatly. I must complete that which tradition demands and take my life."

"You are a fool!" snapped the man angrily. "Antony can demand nothing of you now."

"How dare you!" yelled Iras immediately. "You cannot speak to her highness that way! She values tradition while you treasonously spurn it!"

"Ah, my dear Iras," said her Lady, and she knew what was to come. "But he is right. I am a fool. But one who is so willingly. I shall die today, dear Vedas, and there is nothing you can do to stop it." She rose and joined hands with the evil man. "But I am joyful that you did not perish alongside Antony. For to lose my love is heartbreaking, but to lose you both would be too much for anyone to bear."

The man seemed to start crying. "_This_ is too much to bear."

"But you shall," said Iras's Lady as she wiped away the tears. "You will persist as you have since the start of time."

The man laughed through the tears. "I am not that old."

"But you are," said Cleopatra. "We all are. Our souls live eternal and we shall meet again. When you are old and I am new again."

"Where is this from?" asked the man. "Are you speaking of the Yehudah traditions?"

"I speak of truth," she replied. "And you shall know it to be as well."

The evil man looked away and spoke to his sandals. "Do not leave me."

"You will not be alone. And you will have me again, and perhaps, in that era, we shall be both soul mates and loves."

The man looked back and stared fiercely into the Lady's eyes. "I shall search for you every day."

She nodded her head. "And I will search for you. But go now, so that when Octavian arrives, he only finds me."

The man was still, aggravatingly, until the Lady pushed him gently aside and then he turned and fled the hall. When he was gone, and there was no sounds save for birds chirping in the rafters, then did she fall to her knees and began to weep.

Charmion was there first at her side and then Iras arrived to help. Her Lady was crying so hard her whole body shook violently, and she only stopped long enough to bid Charmion to fetch an asp such that she might be able to complete her duty.

"I am doing what I must," she explained to Iras once Charmion was gone.

"I would not question that, my Lady," replied Iras, and she would not.

Her Lady smiled through her tears. "I know you would not, but you should. You are too strong to have deserved this fate. I release you from my charge."

Iras' mouth dropped in horror. "My Lady I-I would not leave you now. Even as a freedman I am forever yours to command!"

Her Lady gently stroked Iras' cheek, and then, quite suddenly, she leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips, holding her chin firmly to make sure she would not recoil.

Recoiling hadn't even occurred to her.

"I shall miss you deeply, too," said her Lady when the kiss had ended. "I hope in our next lives we can know each other better than we do now."

"I-I do as well," said Iras, her throat still dry from the kiss.

Her Lady smiled warmly and her tears continued. Iras began to cry as well. She would continue until her Lady had passed from this world, and then she laid down at her Lady's feet and joined her.

-( KP )-

Bonnie woke up with a start and looked around her darkened bedroom at two in the morning.

"What the hell was _that_?" she said.

END EPISODE 5.


End file.
